Naruto of the Cloud
by bad girl 61
Summary: I got permission from thetizzler to adopt this story. I will be continuing on his work. I have many other stories coming so be patient. No negative comments. Only positive please. Any negative comments will result in no new chapters. i will not be accused of stealing someone's work when I was given permission to have the story. Just read and find out. *ON HIATUS *
1. Chapter 1

ch. 1 Rewrite

It was a beautiful night in the forests of fire country. The pale moonlight illuminated the darkness and gave the area a serene air about it. A serene air that was destroyed when the sound of a tree crashing to the ground rang through the forest and scared the wild life half to death.

"DAMN IT!" A tall muscular man with dark skin and blond hair screamed as he punched another tree, sending it crashing to the ground. Another dark skinned man watched from a few feet away, lazily leaning against another tree.

"We almost went to war and for what? A god damn corpse with nothing of value."

"I told you that you need to stop playing the villain. You need to be more like me and start with the chillin."

"Damn it Bee, I'm not in the mood for your ridiculous rhyming! You saw it didn't you? The old man's eyes weren't the eyes of a shinobi past his prime... They had fire in them. The same fire that the fourth had."

As the man recalled the events that transpired earlier that night he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Are you actually afraid? The only time I've seen you sweat like that is when you're with a dame."

"Bee, do you have any idea who the other people in the room were when we received the body of our ambassadors murderer?"

"I've never been one to tell lies. I was checking out the female in the corner with the tattoos under her eyes."

"That was the head of the Inuzuka clan. The head of every single clan in the leaf village minus the Hyuga was in that room with us. They weren't the only ones... The man with the mask who stood next to the hokage is Kakashi of the sharingan. Even though he isn't an Uchiha, he's said to be even more proficient in it than some pure blooded members of the clan. He's also the last living student of the fourth hokage. If the three legendary sannin weren't off doing whatever it is they're doing in the world, we probably would have seen them there too."

"What are you getting at? You defeat ninja of their caliber at the drop of a hat."

"One on one I have no doubts that I could beat every single person in that room. Two or three of them at the same time? Even that wouldn't be enough to stop me. Four or more? That starts to be more of an obstacle. All of them at the same time? No one short of my father could handle odds like that... I've done everything I can to be just like him, even pursuing rare bloodlines just as he did, but what use is power if you find yourself with enemies around every corner? My father was invincible and even he couldn't fight forever. If we had gone to war with the leaf village over this, then every single minor village we antagonized over the years would rush to their aid. Soon after that the other great villages would probably join them as well. It would be us against the world and the world would win. Even with two perfect jinchuriki on our side we would be overwhelmed by the combined power of the other villages."

"You're letting your ego take a big hit. It wasn't your idea to start this shit."

"It may not have been my idea to try and steal the byakugan but I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have tried if I hadn't been busy judging the chunin exams. Though I can tell you with certainty that if I had it wouldn't have been such a disgusting plan. Kidnapping a little girl on her birthday... Disgraceful. They should have tried to bribe a disgruntled branch member or something. "

"A..."

"I've made a decision. No more of this antagonistic behavior toward the other villages. We were lucky that this whole situation didn't blow up in our face. Perhaps we can smooth over our relationships with the other villages in time."

"Dibs on smoothing over relations with the mist village!"

"... Why?"

"If our intel is right then the next Mizukage is most likely going to be a woman named Mei Terumi. She's supposed to be a smoking hot bombshell with real nice boobies."

"No."

"But bro"

"NO! Now let's head home before I put you in the iron claw and drag you there."

The two men went on their way, blissfully unaware that they were about to have a chance encounter that would change their lives.

Not far from their current location was a cave that led down into an expansive underground tunnel system. In the depths of these tunnels was a laboratory where an experiment was currently being performed. A young blond boy with whisker marks on his face was strapped to a table, unconscious and unaware of his current situation. Standing over him was a pale man with evil eyes and a despicable smile.

"Let's begin." The pale man ordered. He laid down on another table next to the boy and a young red haired girl stood in between the tables.

"Remember, keep the boys consciousness away from the nine tailed fox while I'm negotiating with it."

"I know my damn role, so shut your damn mouth, Orochimaru."

The young red head took one of Orochimaru's hands in hers and did the same for the young boy. The older man fell into a deep sleep the same as the boy.

"Success." Orochimaru noted as he stared into the eyes of one of the most powerful creatures in the world.

"You... I know you." The beast said from behind it's cage.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Orochimaru bowed respectfully.

"You are Orochimaru of the sannin. Once comrade to Jiraiya and Tsunade, and the jailer of my jailer."

"I beg you not to take it personally great fox. It was not my intention to make you a prisoner two fold. My goal is instead to offer you a truce."

"A truce? Let me guess, you want me to not interfere when you use your disgusting technique to take over this boys body, in exchange for you setting me free when you are done with him?"

"You are wise indeed great fox. When the boy has matured I wish to become him and I can only do that if you permit it. In exchange, when the time comes for me to find a new host I will set you free.

"Begone from my sight you filthy creature. That leaves a period of three years that I will be forced to share a body with you. I won't be used as a tool for the petty conflicts of man anymore. Least of all one as short sighted and disgusting as you."

"You wound me great fox! I only wish to ally myself with you as we have a common enemy. The leaf village has kept you imprisoned for generations. Surely you wish for vengeance?"

"An ally you say? If you truly wish to be my ally then do one thing for me."

"Whatever you wish, great fox."

"Say my name."

"... What?"

"You wish to be my ally right? The least you can do for an ally is learn his name. Did you even attempt to research my name before you contacted me?"

"I... I never came across a name in my research."

"Really? Not even in the valley where I was heralded as a god by the local farmers? Did you even know about that? Did you care about what I once was or only about what I could do for you? Keep your truce. This boy may be weak but he is a better container than you. He cared enough to ask me my name."

Orochimaru was suddenly grabbed by the throat by a tendril of pure chakra. It lifted him off the ground while choking him.

"For the record human, my name is Kurama. If you survive this, then remember it."

Elsewhere in the young boys mind, the young girl from before was keeping the boys consciousness isolated as ordered. This manifested as a small cage that the boy barely fit in.

"How could you do this to your own family?" The young boy questioned through teary eyes.

"Just because we share the same name doesn't make us family. A disgrace like you that wasn't even born with red hair doesn't deserve to call yourself an Uzumaki."

"You don't deserve to call yourself a human being!"

"Whatever lame ass. Just be a good boy and wait for Orochimaru to be done."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" A deafening scream of pain rang through the boy's mind making the red haired girl jump from the shock.

"That was Orochimaru! What the fuck happened?" The foul mouthed girl questioned.

"I don't know but" The young boy said as his body started glowing red. "It feels good!" He yelled triumphantly as he found the strength to break free of the girls mental bonds.

"No fucking way!" The girl tried to sever the connection between their minds but she wasn't fast enough as the boy lunged at her and delivered a devastating punch.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The boy yelled as he punched her with all his might.

The force was enough to send her back to her own mind and body and she even flinched as if she had actually been hit in the real world.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Orochimaru screamed as his body burned with an unnatural crimson fire.

"Shit!" The girl yelled as she grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher. Before she could use it to put her master out, it was snatched away from her by the now awake young boy, his body now covered in a red aura of pure chakra that gave him the strength to break his bonds.

"Naruto wait!" The girls plea fell on deaf ears as Naruto swung the invaluable piece of safety equipment right into her stomach.

"NOW GET OUT OF MY LIFE!" A sickening crack told Naruto that he broke some of the girls ribs with his swing. He looked down at her for a second with pity in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Tayuya." Naruto threw the now dented fire extinguisher across the room before making a beeline for the door and jumping through it splintering the wood into a million pieces.

"Do me a favor and don't try something like that again. Your body can barely handle the paltry amount of chakra I'm pumping into you as it is. If you compound that with idiotic stunts then I can't guarantee that you'll last long enough to get us out of here."

"I'm sorry Kurama."

"Don't apologize just DODGE TO THE LEFT NOW!"

Naruto quickly did as ordered and dodged a tranquilizer dart that otherwise would have hit him spot on and possibly knocked him out.

"Run through him! He's not a true threat!"

Naruto lunged at the guard and knocked him out of the way with a drop kick. His head hit the wall and he was knocked out easily.

"This base is infested with weaklings! Orochimaru overestimated himself and the allure of his offer. He didn't post extra guards in case we escaped. His arrogance is only matched by the Uchiha bastards!"

Naruto ignored Kurama's boasting and quickly found the exit. He didn't understand how but Naruto somehow knew where everyone in the base was and was able to take detours and shortcuts out of the way of any guards aside from the first one. When they reached the exit of the cave Naruto jumped for joy and threw his fist into the air before landing and continuing to run as fast as he could.

"Don't celebrate just yet. We have to get to the leaf village as soon as possible. I have no idea how long Orochimaru will stay burning. I doubt a man such as him would die from such a simple thing as flames, even if they are powered by me."

"Hold it! There are three super strong guys heading this way! Should we go ask them for help?"

"You're right, we should go talk to them. I have a feeling two of them will be willing to help considering who they are."

"What do you mean, Kurama?"

"You and I aren't the only two forced into a relationship like this. I'll explain more when we get to them."

As Naruto and Kurama rushed to the side of the mystery trio, Orochimaru finally mustered the power to save himself by shedding his skin like a snake. He stared at the burning mound of what used to be his own flesh as his rage started to bubble up from within him.

"That god damn fox made a fool of me... NO ONE MAKES A FOOL OF ME!" He screamed as he ran toward the cave exit hoping to find the boy captured by one of his guards. He would have stopped to kill the guard that Naruto had knocked out during his escape but he was more preoccupied with finding the boy before he got away. He had no idea how fast the boy could travel with the aid of the fox's chakra and Naruto had a head start. Lucky for Orochimaru he found Naruto's tracks quick as the boy made no attempt at hiding them. Orochimaru ran the fastest that he had run in a long time to catch up to the boy.

Within minutes Naruto was closing in on the trio he was chasing. He was close enough that he thought he could yell to them but he was suddenly grabbed around the waist by a white snake. Another white snake roped itself around his mouth effectively gagging him.

"You gave me quite the shock when you burned me Kurama. I expected you to accept my offer instantly... I didn't think you would have such a strong connection to this boy considering what you did to his parents. No matter. Even if I can't take over the boy's body, I still have uses for one of the last Uzumaki. I noticed that you were able to slip by the majority of my guards undetected. It seems my theory about you inheriting powerful sensory abilities was spot on."

"Naruto, We're close to help! Try to get the snake out of your mouth so you can yell!"

Naruto started biting into the snake covering his mouth as Orochimaru unceremoniously started dragging him through the forest by his leg. The snake tried to hold on but Naruto managed to chew all the way through it very quickly and he yelled as loud as he could.

"HELP ME!" He screamed before Orochimaru turned around and stepped on the boys head.

"There is no help! Now shut your mouth and come quietly!"

Not far from the current situation, A and Bee stopped when they heard a faint voice back in the direction they came.

"Did you just hear something Bee?"

"It wasn't very loud, but whatever it was I think we should check it out."

Orochimaru continued to grind Naruto's tiny head into the ground but he had to stop and jump out of the way when a bolt of lighting came out of nowhere and almost hit him dead center.

"What now?" Orochimaru growled.

Into view walked A and Bee and Orochimaru's eyes went wide with shock.

"The raikage and the jinchuriki of the eight tails? Why in the world are they here? Wait... The situation with the failed kidnapping of the Hyuga heiress! The raikage must have chosen to come deal with the fallout himself. Damn it, if they realize who Naruto is they'll take him for themselves."

"What's going on here?" The raikage questioned. Bee answered as he flipped through a small book.

"We've got an S-rank criminal over here! If we take this guy back to the leaf village, our relationship with them will be in the clear!"

"S-rank criminal?"

"Orochimaru of the sannin with a heart ice cold! It says right here that he's worth my weight in gold!"

"What in the world is he rhyming for?" Orochimaru thought.

"This guy is so cool! He says everything in rhyme!" Naruto thought. Inside his mind, Kurama slammed his head into the bars of his cage.

"Is this really your partner Gyuki? At least mine has the excuse of being a little kid."

Suddenly Naruto was set free when Bee cut the snake that was holding him with a small sword. Bee offered Naruto his hand and as soon as the two touched Naruto understood what Kurama meant earlier.

"You! You're just like me! You have an animal friend inside you too!"

"Bro, this kid is a jinchuriki!" Bee yelled, too surprised to rhyme for once.

"What?!" The raikage yelled in surprise.

Orochimaru looked back and forth between the two men. He knew he was no match for the two of them at the same time. One on one maybe, but the two men were known as one of the deadliest duos in the world. Orochimaru weighed his options carefully. He could quickly slip away while they were preoccupied with the boy or he could stay and fight for his prize. Orochimaru was never one for gambling unlike a certain ex-teammate of his so he decided to cut his losses and leave. The loss of the boy wasn't devastating anyway. He had other Uzumaki and the nine tailed fox wasn't willing to cooperate like he originally thought it would. Orochimaru backed up against a tree and his body almost melted into it and he disappeared from sight.

"What the hell?" The raikage said as he watched Orochimaru disappear. He ran over and destroyed the tree with a mighty punch but it was in vain. He stayed on guard for a few seconds but Naruto put him at ease.

"Don't worry, he's long gone. I can tell." Naruto said happily.

"You... You can sense his chakra?"

"I guess so... I've always just been able to tell where people are by concentrating. I can even tell how they feel sometimes."

"Those are impressive skills kid. What's your name and how old are you?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm seven years old sir."

"Uzumaki?... Bee come here for a second." A motioned for his brother to come over and he did. The two huddled together.

"He's the jinchuriki of the nine tails, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"The last jinchuriki of the nine tails was an Uzumaki too, wasn't she?"

"Yeah."

"The same girl that my father tried to kidnap from the leaf village, right?"

"Yeah."

"That means this kid is most likely that woman's son, right?"

"Yeah."

"We may not be able to bring them the criminal Orochimaru, but if we bring them back their jinchuriki then it would go a long way to repairing our relationship with the leaf."

"Yeah, let's take him home. Maybe afterward, I can find that sexy Inuzuka woman and throw her my bone."

"... No."

"But bro"

"NO!"

"Umm..." A and Bee were surprised when they heard Naruto speak up.

"What is it kid?" A asked.

"This guy over here is like me, right?"

"Yep, I'm the container of number eight. I got so much power, that all the villains hate!"

"Could you... Train me?"

"Come again?" The raikage asked.

"I want you to train me! Kurama says that if I want to be strong then I should follow you and train to master his power like you did for Gyuki."

"... We aren't from your village kid. If you come with us that means you can't go back to your old village anymore."

"Kurama already explained that to me. Look I... I never want someone like that guy to hurt me ever again! Even if it means that I can't see the old man hokage anymore, or my friend who buys me ramen, I have to become stronger. Please!" Naruto dropped to his knees and started crying. A and Bee were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Listen kid, our villages aren't on good terms right now. They'll get even madder at us when they find out we took you with us instead of returning you."

"Please! You're my best chance to become stronger! I'll tell them that it was my idea, just please take me with you!" Naruto continued to sob. Eventually the raikage got tired of it.

"God damn it fine!" He picked up Naruto and slung him over his shoulder.

"Don't get comfortable over there kid! If I have to, I'll ship you back to the leaf village in a heartbeat if it means avoiding a war!"

The war never came. When news reached the leaf village that their jinchuriki was alive and well in the cloud village many of the more militant minded shinobi demanded that he be returned. The hokage might have been persuaded by these voices had it not been for the input of one of his students.

"Did you see the boy? The hokage asked his student, the legendary Jiraiya of the sannin who had just come back from an unexpected and unknown visit to the cloud village.

"Yeah... He's started living with the jinchuriki of the two tails. She's a pretty young thing with good maternal instincts. She treats him like her own son."

"Did you make yourself known to him?"

"No, and sensei... I have no intention of going back for him."

"What? Explain yourself Jiraiya."

"Here he was treated as a pariah for his connection to the nine tailed fox. In the cloud village, the exploits of Killer Bee and Yugito Nii have lessened the negative image the populace has of jinchuriki, even if only a little. The cloud village is honestly the best place for him right now."

"You would put your godsons needs over the village?"

"Yes I would and I know you feel the same way I do even if you can't admit it. Tell the elders that you ordered me to retrieve the boy and I refused. They won't have the guts to do anything about it. I'm still the greatest spy in the village and they still need me."

"Very well Jiraiya. I will defer to your judgement on this matter. What will you do now?"

"... I'm going to fix the mistake you made all those years ago. I'm going to find Orochimaru and end him."

Unaware of the conversation about him taking place a world away, Naruto was currently trying and failing to perform his first jutsu. The clone jutsu was one of the most basic jutsu in the ninja world. Why then could Naruto not perform it? He was interrupted when a familiar face came, bearing gifts.

"YO!" Killer Bee yelled from afar, holding a pair of scrolls in each hand.

"I brought some scrolls that belonged to your clan. Use them to make your ninja style a bit less bland."

"Thank's bee sensei!" Naruto grabbed one of the scrolls and opened it. He stared at it intensely for a few seconds before hanging his head in shame.

"I forgot that I can't read."

"It's cool little brother. Reading for you won't be a bother." Bee took the scroll from Naruto and began reading it for him.

"Shadow clone jutsu?"


	2. Chapter 2

"oh yeah... Right there..." Naruto mumbled in his sleep. A few feet away a young dark skinned boy with white hair, a lollipop in his mouth, and a cloud village headband sat on a log and sharpened a katana.

"Another one of those dreams." The boy thought.

"Wait... No!" Naruto started shifting around in his sleeping bag, obviously terrified of the direction his dream took.

"Or-Orochi" Naruto was snapped out of his dream when his friend ran over and slapped him awake.

"AH!" Naruto looked around in a panic but calmed down when he noticed the other boy.

"That sounded like a bad one, Naruto."

"Thank's Omoi. It wasn't as bad as they used to be. I'm more annoyed that it interrupted a good dream. I was this awesome martial artist that was trained by gods and had this badass warrior princess wife. Oh, and I could wear orange without people giving me shit for it. That was the best part. Anyway I was with my badass wife when that guy showed up again."

Naruto hung his head low and Omoi put an understanding hand on his shoulder.

"We're pretty close to where you escaped, aren't we?"

"Yeah... I was lucky that Bee sensei and the raikage were there. If they hadn't been... Sis and Karui are coming back, don't mention my nightmare, I don't want sis to worry."

Omoi went back to sharpening his blade and Naruto started packing up his sleeping bag just as two girls walked into the clearing. One was a dark skinned girl around Naruto's age with striking red hair. The other was a beautiful blond in her early twenties."

"About time you woke up, sleeping beauty."

"Hey sis. Did you and Karui go fill up on water or something?"

"Yeah, here's your canteen." The older kunoichi tossed the container to Naruto and he grabbed it, using a little bit of the water to start brushing his teeth.

"Yugito sensei, how much longer until we get to the leaf village?" Omoi asked as he gave his sword a final wipe down and sheathed it.

"Not much longer. We can get there by this afternoon if we really hustle."

"Then let's hustle!" Naruto exclaimed right as he finished his morning hygiene ritual.

"Chunin exams here we come! I can't wait to prove myself against some strong competition!"

How could Naruto know that at that exact moment some of the strongest genin in the leaf village were hoping for the same thing?

"The chunin exams start soon. We should be seeing foreigners in the village within the next few days." A teenage boy with pale eyes said, as he meditated under a tree.

"I know what your thinking, Neji. Promise me that you'll play nice if any cloud village shinobi show up." A cute girl with hair buns said. She nonchalantly tossed a kunai into the tree by his face but received no reaction.

"TenTen is right my friend. Your grudge against them is valid, but it is important to keep ones emotions in check when undergoing a trial as difficult as the chunin exams." A boy in a green spandex and huge eyebrows said.

"Lee, TenTen... Your concern is touching but I am not a man who loses control easily. If any cloud shinobi do appear, I shall conduct myself as is fitting for a Hyuga."

In a nearby training ground, another group of genin were standing around. This group consisted of a girl with the same pale eyes as the boy from earlier, A boy in a grey hoodie with a dog on his head, and an intimidating guy with dark sunglasses on.

"I wonder what Kurenai sensei wants to talk to us about? What do you think, Shino?" The guy with the dog asked the sunglasses wearing boy.

"The chunin exams are soon. Perhaps she thinks we are worthy of competing."

"Ch-Chunin exams? Are we truly ready for that?"

"Of course you three are ready."

They all turned to see their sensei had just arrived behind them.

"Kurenai sensei!" All three kids shouted before running up to the woman.

"So Sh-Shino was right? We're r-really gonna take the chu-chunin exams?"

"Yes Hinata. You all have the chance to take the exams. You have a choice though. If you feel you aren't ready no one can force you to come. However just know that I feel all three of you are ready and fully capable of making chunin."

"YAHOO! I can't wait to kick some serious tail!"

"Although I don't share Kiba's enthusiasm I too believe this is an excellent opportunity for us. Why? Because being allowed to take the chunin exams so soon into ones career is quite rare."

The female of the three just stood there silently contemplating what she should do.

"If I take the chunin exams I could get stronger but what if I fail?"

Deciding that she wanted some time to herself to think, Hinata excused herself. She retreated to an alley within the village where she promised to meet one of her friends in an hour. Said friend was waiting at another training grounds. This pink haired girl was pacing around, visibly angry. To her right were three training logs that her teammates were sitting next to. They were both dark haired boys, but one of them was pale as a ghost. The pale one was scribbling in a notebook while the other one just waited patiently.

"I am so sick of this shit." The pink haired girl said.

"The more you think about it, the slower time seems to pass. You should sit back and just relax, Sakura." The artist of the group said.

"No, Sai! This was supposed to be our day off. I had plans to spend the day with Ino and Hinata and I'll be damned if Kakashi sensei makes me late."

"There are worse things to be late for. Your period for example. Although, Sasuke refuses to go out with you so the chances of that are rather low."

About ten seconds later, their jonin sensei Kakashi Hatake arrived to find an angry Sakura standing above an unconscious Sai.

"The lump on Sai's head looks a lot bigger than usual. You've been keeping up with the weight training regiment I put you on, I'm proud of you." The silver-haired, mask wearing man said, peeking over a small orange book.

"YOU! Where were you this whole time? Reading porn again!?"

"Sakura you don't read porn. You read smut." Kakashi had a little laugh while scratching the back of his head but he only made the young kunoichi angrier.

"Not funny? Well, if I say that I recommended you for the chunin exams will you forgive me?"

Back in town, another genin squad was getting the same good news as they ate in a barbecue restaurant.

"Troublesome" A pineapple haired youth mumbled.

"What do you mean troublesome?! We get to take the chunin exams our first year of being genin. Do you have any idea how rare that is Shikamaru?" A blonde haired beauty questioned.

"Yes I do. That doesn't make it any less troublesome Ino."

"Will there be food?" A rather large child asked.

"Damn it Choji there's more to life than just food!" Ino yelled.

The three genin's jonin instructor Asuma just laughed at the threes antics.

"What's so funny Asuma!" The loudmouthed female of the group asked.

"You three just remind me of my old team when I was your age."

Suddenly Ino jumped out of her seat

"That reminds me I made a promise to forehead girl and Hinata to meet for a girls day out. I should go find them."

She left and the boys had a little chuckle at her affectionate nickname for her best friend.

"You would think she would have dropped the nickname when she and Sakura got over their stupid fight over Sasuke." Choji said between bites of food.

About a year ago, Ino and Sakura had run into each other on their way to the academy. Every time this happened they would race to class with the winner getting the right to sit next to Sasuke. This day happened to be a draw so after she caught her breath, Sakura turned to Ino intent on arguing about who got to sit next to Sasuke. To Sakura's surprise, Ino wasn't paying attention to her. Her gaze was fixed on a student that Sakura had never seen before. Ino blushed a light pink and stared at the mysterious pale boy as he drew on a sketch pad.

"Uh... Ino? Are we gonna decide who gets to sit next to Sasuke?"

"What about the sauce is gay?"

"Ino?"

When Ino noticed another girl was about to sit next to the new boy she ran at top speed and cut her off. She glared at her with an evil eye, silently claiming this newbie for herself.

"Forehead can have Sasuke. This guy is way cuter" Ino sat down and introduced herself with a blush. Sakura meanwhile, strolled over to Sasuke and claimed the seat next to him.

"Today is gonna be a good day." Both girls thought.

Back in the present Sakura and Hinata had already met up after their respective team meetings and were walking to the ice cream shop they planned to meet up at.

"Can you believe it Hinata? We get to take the chunin exams already. I can't wait to get out there and show off how kick ass I am!"

"I-I don't kn-know if I'm ready for the chunin exams."

Sakura looked at her depressed friend with a look of genuine concern on her face.

"Hinata... You're a great ninja you just need confidence."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. This is what I'm talking about. You need to get angry. Get some passion in your life. The reason me and Ino are such badasses is because we give it our all to impress our boys."

"Um S-Sakura... Sasuke and Sai aren't your and Ino's b-boyfriends so why do you call them your boys?"

"Hey they might not be ours right now but one day we'll convince those two idiots. I bet if you had a crush you'd get stronger to impress him too. What about those teammates of yours? Kiba's kind of cute I guess."

"I-I don't like Kiba and Shino like that. They have g-girlfriends anyway."

"What? Both of them? I can kinda see Kiba with a girl, but Shino?"

"Y-yes Kiba is dating an intern at his f-family's animal shelter and Sh-Shino is dating Kiba's girlfriends sister."

"Oh, so Kiba hooked his friend up. I guess that makes sense. Well... there has to be a guy we can hook you up with."

"HEY FOREHEAD GIRL! HINATA!"

"I'd know that screech of a voice anywhere!"

The two girls turned around to find Ino running toward them.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Asuma took us out to eat in celebration of being chosen to take the chunin exams."

"Oh you too? Me and Hinata had our teams nominated as well!"

"That's awesome! Anyway what were you two just talking about?"

The three girls start walking towards their favorite ice cream shop.

"We were talking about how Hinata needs to get her a man."

"S-SAKURA!"

"It's true and you know it!"

"Ooooh any interesting names come up?"

"Well as it turns out she can't date her teammates since their already dating some civilian girls."

"Oh, that's too bad."

Hinata's face starts getting noticeably redder the more the two girls openly talk about her lack of a love life.

"Sheesh Hinata have you ever even liked a guy?" Ino asked with a legitimate curiosity.

"Well... Th-there was one boy a long time ago."

"Oh tell us about him." Ino and Sakura said at the same time.

" I d-don't know his name but he was always p-protecting the kids at the playground I used to go to from bullies. He e-even saved me from getting b-beat up once. I-I always wanted to talk to him b-but I was too shy. I never m-managed to even a-ask his name and none of the o-other kids knew it. I-I followed him once to see wh-where he lived and he went to an or-orphanage. I th-think he got adopted be-because I haven't seen him in years."

"What did this guy look like" Sakura asked curious to know more about her friends only crush.

"H-He had spiky blonde hair and birth marks that looked k-kinda like whiskers on his face".

"You mean like that guy up ahead?"

"WH-WHAT!?"

Up ahead of them entering their favorite ice cream shop was a group of four foreign ninja. The tallest one was a blonde haired female and most likely the jonin sensei of the three shorter kids. The other three were a dark skinned boy with a lollipop in his mouth, a dark skinned girl with fiery red hair, and a slightly shorter than the rest blonde haired boy with whisker like marks on his face and a bright orange tracksuit. The four ninja walked in and the girls who were watching the scene from afar were stunned. They were just talking about Hinata's only crush and here they find a boy that looks exactly like him.

"Could it have been him you think forehead girl?"

"Why are you asking me Ino pig? Hinata? Was that him?"

"I-I-I th-think m-maybe. B-but those w-were cl-cloud ninja. Wh-why would a b-boy from o-our village b-be a cl-cloud ninja?"

"You said he was an orphan. Maybe he was adopted by someone who lived in the lightning country?" Sakura stated in a know it all tone.

"Why don't we find out girls?"

With a devilish grin Ino grabs Sakura and Hinata by the hand and drags them into the ice cream shop.

"Why did it have to be the cloud village?" Were Hinata's only thoughts as she was dragged into the shop behind what could possibly be the man of her dreams.

After the girls step into the ice cream shop a man in an anbu mask steps out from the shadows of a nearby alley.

"The legacy of the fourth has returned and it appears he has an admirer. I must inform Lord Danzo immediately."

With his new information, the Anbu vanishes in a swirl of leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

ch. 3

As the three girls walked into the ice cream shop they made their way to a table close enough to hear the cloud groups conversation but far enough they could still whisper and be unheard. Ino made sure the table was behind Naruto so that he hopefully would not notice Hinata staring at him.

"What's up with all these foreigners? I've seen a few more walking around the village today. Are they all here for the chunin exams?" Ino asked no one in particular.

"They must be Ino-pig. Why else would there be so many ninja from so many different villages in one place?" Sakura answered back.

"While Ino and Sakura whispered about the ninja in the shop Hinata had her eyes glued to the back of Naruto's head as he talked among his group.

"Yo big sis, what are you gonna get me as a gift when I pass this exam with flying colors?" Said blond asked the older blond.

"IF you pass the exam I might consider giving you back those books of your I took when you were ten."

"Ah! I can finally get back my icha icha books!?Thanks sis!"

The three girls each had very different responses to this information.

"He reads those nasty little porn books, like Kakashi sensei!? I already don't like this guy!"

"What an amatuer getting caught with those books. I've had them since I was eight and my parents still don't know about them."

"H-he reads icha icha t-too?"

Neither of the two groups noticed when a third trio of genin entered the shop. They were all rain village genin, wearing wet suits and breathing apparatuses.

"That's him isn't it? The jinchuriki that lord pain wants us to observe." One of the three rain village genin whispered to his comrades.

"Yeah. The jinchuriki of the nine and one tails are still young and their skill sets are relatively unknown. Our mission is to observe them and determine their threat level."

"How do we do that boss?"

"Lord pain wants us to fight him if possible. I've got an idea to bait him, follow my lead."

The three rain genin walked over to the girls and their leader leaned on their table with one arm.

"Well what do we have here? Who knew such a backwater village like this could have such pretty little ladies. Why don't you three girls come with me and my boys here and show us a good time." The leader said in an egotistical tone.

"As if freak show, get out of here before I kick that stupid face right off your shoulders!"

"Ooooh I like it when little girls get angry. Why don't you try it pinky and see what happens?"

As Sakura made to punch him Hinata and Ino grabbed her fist to prevent her from striking.

"Sakura if you hit him you could get in trouble and be kicked out of the chunin exams!"

"I-Ino is right S-Sakura. P-please calm down."

Sakura calmed down a little but she started staring daggers at the three ninja in front of them.

"Oh where did all that fire go pinky? Too much of a coward to fight ba-"

"LARIAT!"

All of a sudden an orange flash collided with the rain ninja and sent him flying into the wall. The orange flash was none other than a very angry Naruto.

"YOU! I hate people who bully others like you! You have one chance to get the hell out of here before I wipe the floor with you and your two freaky little cronies."

Said cronies were scrambling to pick up their fallen comrade.

"What the hell was that?"

"This idiot just got knocked the fuck out is what happened."

"Pick his dumbass up and let's get out of here."

The two genin picked up their leader and ran out as fast as they could.

With those idiots gone Naruto turned to the three girls with a big grin plastered on his face.

"Sorry you three had to see that. It really gets my blood boiling when people act like that."

Naruto then held out his hand to the three girls who were still shocked at the display of strength they just saw. They soon snapped out of it and one by one shook his hand and introduced themselves.

"Thanks for that. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm a genin for the village."

"Hi my name is Ino Yamanaka and I'm the heir to the Yamanaka clan."

"U-uh h-hi. M-my name i-is Hi-hinata hy-hyuga." Hinata turned almost tomato red when her hand made contact with Naruto's. She let it stay on his for a while until Naruto broke contact.

"I'm the hero Naruto Uzumaki! At your service."

"Hero?" Sakura and Ino asked at the same time?

"Yep! I'm a wicked cool hero who goes around and beats up all the bad guys! Just last month I stomped some evil rich guy who was using rogue ninja to oppress a fishing village in the land of waves. They even named a bridge after me!"

"Naruto no one wants to hear about your past missions." Karui said as she and the rest of the group walked up.

"I'll see about having those rain genin punished. Behavior like that is unacceptable." Yugito said.

"Oh, this is my team by the way. The blond one is my big sis Yugito, the angry one is my teammate Karui, and the guy with the candy is Omoi."

"What you call me punk!"

"Karui calm down. If you beat up Naruto now he won't be in top shape for the chunin exams and we'll all die."

"Bah! I could pass the chunin exams without you two idiots!"

As Karui and Omoi bickered Naruto and Yugito offered to let the three girls join them to which they all agreed to.

After they all sat down Yugito started talking to the younger girls.

"So are any of you girls going to take the chunin exams this year?"

"You bet! All three of us are gonna take it and kick some serious ass!"

"Oh are you three girls on the same team?"

"No. Good thing too. I don't know if I could last if I had to spend more than a few hours with ino pig."

"Right back at you forehead girl!"

Yugito had a laugh at the two girls playful banter but noticed Hinata was visibly nervous and not talking to anyone. She was also taking occasional glances at Naruto and blushing ever so slightly.

"Could that one be attracted to him? No way. A hyuga of all people must hate the cloud after the kidnapping attempt. Her forehead is clear too so she must be a main branch."

Her thoughts were interrupted as their ice cream finally arrived. The group continued to have small talk for a while until Yugito said they had to get to their hotel soon and bid the girls farewell. As soon as they were out of earshot the girls started to talk among themselves.

"Hinata, do you think that guy was him? Was he the same boy from when you were younger?"

"I-I think s-so Ino."

"So what do you think? Are you gonna ask him out or what?"

"... No."

"Why not?"

"F-Father hates the cl-cloud. I-If he kn-knew about me ea-eating with so-some he'd be v-very angry."

"Why does he hate the cloud so much?" Ino and Sakura both asked.

"I don't know. A-All I remember is that something b-bad happened when I-I was five with a cl-cloud ninja. I-I don't remember wh-what h-happened exactly b-but ever since then f-father forbids me fr-from being n-near cloud ninja."

"Screw that! If you like someone to hell with what your dad thinks."

Hinata sat silent for a while while Ino and Sakura just looked at her.

"I-I sh-should be ge-getting home n-now."

Hinata ran off and left Sakura and Ino in the shop with sad looks on their faces.

Meanwhile Naruto and his team made their way to the hotel. They were walking down an alleyway, Karui and Omoi bickering about some nonsense while Naruto was talking to his big sis.

"Those three girls were really cute. I think the hyuga kind of liked me!"

"I noticed that too. She kept blushing at you."

"Yeah, I could feel really warm chakra coming from her. I like people with warm chakra. Do you think I might be able to be friends with her sis?"

"I don't know Naruto. After the kidnapping attempt all those years ago I'm surprised she doesn't hate you for simply being a cloud ninja."

"But we imprisoned the guy responsible for that didn't we?"

"Yes but not before he convinced the hyuga to hand over the body of the man who killed the kidnapper. The idiot thought that he could get the byakugan that way. They just put a seal on the man to keep his byakugan from being analyzed. By the time the Raikage returned from his trip to the chunin exams that year it was already too late for him to do anything. He was at least able to imprison the mastermind, but the gesture wasn't enough and we haven't been on good terms with the people of this village since."

"Well... if the people here don't like us I'll just have to make them like us! It'll be good practice for when I become Raikage anyway!"

"Hey don't get ahead of yourself kid. You still gotta pass the chunin exams before you even consider becoming our kage."

"Bring it on! I'll pass this exam with flying colors and be one step closer to my dream!"

Yugito was smiling at her little brothers enthusiasm. They soon reached their destination and took up residence in their rooms. The boys were in one room while the girls were in the room next to them."

In the boys room Omoi was sitting at a table reading the newspaper while Naruto was laying on one of the two beds.

"Yo Omoi, what do you say we go walking around some more? I don't feel like sitting around in this room all day."

"Yugito sensei said to stay here. If we don't listen to her she'll get mad at us and then she'll use her crazy fire powers to burn us to a crisp and we won't be able to take the exam."

"You worry too much. Sis wouldn't do that."

Suddenly Naruto sat up and looked toward the window.

"What is it Naruto?"

"Just an old friend. Tell sis not to wait up."

And with that Naruto opened the window and jumped out. Omoi looked out the window to see Naruto talking to a leaf ninja. He was a tanned man with a scar running across his nose. The two talked for a few seconds then walked off together.

"Yugito sensei is gonna be pissed."

Naruto and his old friend headed to a small ramen stand called Ichiraku ramen. It had been a pretty slow day at ichiraku ramen until one blond knucklehead and his older friend walked into the stand. The owner of the stand turned around to greet them as he did all the customers but stopped himself when he saw that familiar spiky yellow head.

"Naruto? Is that you Naruto?"

"Teuchi! I haven't seen you in years!"

"Naruto I never thought I'd see you again after I heard you became a cloud ninja."

"I'm in town to take the chunin exams. I'll be here for a while and I plan on eating my fill of your delicious ramen."

"That's good to hear. You and Iruka were my best customers all that time ago."

Naruto and Iruka sat down and ordered their ramen. As teuchi prepared it the two old friends started catching up.

"So Iruka how have things been here in the village?"

"It's not the same without you here pulling pranks all the time. It's really boring. Speaking of pranks have you pulled any good ones in the cloud village?"

"Hehe well my big sis is pretty good at catching me before I manage to pull off the big ones."

"Big sis?"

"Yeah, I was taken in by another one of Killer bee's students. Her name is Yugito. She's really nice. She's also single." Naruto said that last part with a devilish smirk.

Iruka started blushing "Why'd you bring that up?"

"Oh no reason. Hows your love life Iruka?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Oh, so you're single too? You should go out with my big sis then."

Iruka was blushing like mad and tried to hide it by devouring his ramen. Naruto was laughing his head off and Teuchi was smiling at the antics of his two favorite customers. After the two finished eating their ramen Iruka paid their bill and they started to walk together.

"The village still looks the same as it did all of those years ago."

"Yeah, not much has changed. You know the Hokage would really like to see you Naruto."

"I figured as much. Tell him I'll go see him later tonight. My big sis wanted to talk to him too."

"What does she want to discuss with him?"

"She wants to chew him out for letting me be kidnapped by Orochimaru all those years ago."

"Oh..."

Silence fell over the two as they walked.

"I don't blame anybody in the village for that Iruka. Killer Bee taught me how to let go of my hate a long time ago."

"That's good to hear. This village is full of good people Naruto. Just because they fear what they don't understand doesn't make them"

"NARUTO!"

Both men looked up to see a very angry Yugito staring down at them from the rooftops.

"Oh crap."

"Is that who I think it is Naruto?"

"Yep, that's my big sis."

Yugito jumped down and grabbed Naruto by his ear.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE HOTEL ROOM!"

"AH! SIS I WAS JUST GETTING RAMEN WITH AN OLD FRIEND!"

"I DON'T CARE! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS YOU INSUBORDINATE LITTLE IDIOT!"

Iruka cleared his throat to try to get Yugitos attention. Sadly for him it worked.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TAKING MY LITTLE BROTHER OFF TO GOD KNOWS WHERE!?"

"My name is Iruka. I was a very good friend of Naruto's before he left the village. I was just taking him out for some ramen. I'm sorry for not asking your permission first ma'am. I promise it won't happen again."

Yugito started to calm down a little after hearing Iruka talk.

"It better not. For your sake as much as his." She lets go of Naruto's ear.

"Ow. My poor ear." Naruto said getting a few tears in his eyes from the stinging pain.

"I apologize for worrying you miss."

Naruto started to compose himself and decided to introduce the two.

"Sis this is the man I told you about. He was one of the few people in the village who was nice to me when I was a kid. Iruka this is my big sis Yugito."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Iruka said as he offered his hand.

"Likewise." Yugito took his hand and shook it.

"Big sis, Iruka is single too so you and him should go out sometime."

Both adults blushed like crazy.

"Naruto!" They both yelled.

"What? Weren't you complaining about how you can't get laid, not long before we came here?"

"Ah! The things I talk about with my friends in the privacy of my house aren't things you should be listening to, or repeating you little brat!"

"I can't help it if you and your friends get loud when you drink."

Yugito was blushing at a level that would rival Hinata. Iruka decided to take this opportunity to speak up.

"Um, miss Yugito?"

"Y-yes?"

"If you don't mind I would like to spend some time talking to you. Not as a date exactly but I'd like to know more about the person who is taking care of my little friend. What say you and I meet up in the morning and go to me and Naruto's favorite ramen stand."

"Make it an ice cream shop and you have a deal."

"Ice cream it is then. I'll see you in the morning. I have to go see the Hokage now. Naruto informed me that you and him plan on seeing him tonight and I should let him know."

Iruka jumped away on the rooftops leaving Naruto and Yugito alone.

"You got a date sis! Good for you." Naruto exclaimed with a big grin.

"It's not a date brat. You aren't off the hook either. You're getting some serious punishment later."

Yugito grabbed Naruto by the ear and started dragging him toward their hotel.


	4. Chapter 4

ch. 4 rewrite

"Here it is sis. The hokage's room is at the very top." Naruto explained to his sister as they arrived at the hokage's tower right as the sun began descending into the horizon. They walked in and were welcomed by a lady sitting at the front desk. She was expecting them and told them that the hokage was waiting in his office. As they made their way to the top Yugito took the opportunity to talk to Naruto about what she wanted to do.

"Naruto, I'll go in first so I can tell this old bastard what I think about him. You wait outside and when I'm done I'll let you in. He may ask to talk to you alone. I'll let you decide if you want me to leave the room or not."

"Yeah, I expected that." Naruto most certainly did not want to be in the same room with his sister while she was telling off the hokage. Naruto had seen Yugito truly enraged only once in his life when he was caught peeping on some girls in a hot spring. He never wanted to relive that experience again. They finally arrived at the hokages office and Yugito knocked on the door.

"Come in" Said an elderly voice from the other side. Yugito opened the door and walked in. Naruto sat on a couch just outside the door and waited for Yugito to come get him. He knew that if the hokage didn't activate a privacy seal then Yugito would, so trying to eavesdrop would be pointless. He sat for a good 5 minutes until the door finally opened and Yugito walked out.

"Okay Naruto. You can come in now." Naruto got off of the couch and walked into the room only to be stunned at what he saw inside. The hokage was sitting in a comfy chair and laying in front of him was a mass of splintered wood and broken table limbs.

"Sis did you?"

"I got a little excited."

"Don't worry about the table. I know a ninja who is exceptionally skilled at making wooden furniture." The old man said without a hint of fear or anger in his voice. Naruto was shocked at the hokage's calm demeanor but quickly composed himself.

"It's good to see you again old man. How have things been in the village without me?" The hokage cracked a small smile.

"Things have been quiet without you to say the least. I no longer have Iruka coming into my office every week complaining about you pulling some crazy prank."

"Teehee, those were good times. For the most part anyway."

"Naruto... If it's okay with you and your guardian I would like to speak with you in private."

"Yeah I thought so." Naruto turned to his sister and told her to wait outside. She paused for a brief second to ruffle his hair before leaving the room.

"You've found someone very special to look after you Naruto. I am very happy for you." The old man said with a smile.

"Yeah... I don't know what I would do without big sis. She's the best, even if she is a little overprotective." Naruto looked down at the splintered mass of wood in between him and the hokage but the old man merely laughed.

"In truth when she came in here with such anger I was beyond happy. It reminded me a bit of how Iruka used to storm in here whenever you got in trouble for something."

"Haha... So you noticed it too huh? I was planning on hooking those two up while we're here. Most guys back home are giant wusses who get intimidated by sis real easily."

"Oh, my lips are sealed. Don't tell Iruka I said this, but that man desperately needs to be intimate with someone. I've been kind of worried about him lately. He's been helping get the exams ready on top of his usual workload as an instructor. He's been very stressed out, though he is an expert at hiding it."

"Don't worry about it. I've already set them up for a date tomorrow. If all goes well then... Well, you know."

"Excellent. I hope those two hit it off. How is your training going?"

"Well that's part of the reason I agreed to come talk to you. I hit a wall with my training and I need your help to get over it."

"Let me guess. You need the key to the seal?"

"You already knew?"

"I am well aware of the process you must go through to become a true jinchuriki like master Bee. I helped the Jinchuriki before you achieve that level."

"You mean my mom?" The third dropped his pipe in shock.

"How did you know?"

"Oh boy, do I have a story to tell you."

Naruto began recounting the events of a training exercise that Bee and Yugito made him go through a few years after he came to the cloud village.

"Uh... How is this supposed to help me control Kurama's chakra? Naruto asked as he watched Bee meditating in his personal training grounds.

"It's important for a jinchuriki to always be in control of their emotions. The best ways to do that are either meditation, or grabbing the lotion."

"BEE!" Yugito yelled at him from beside Naruto.

"I don't get it sis? What about lotion can help you get your emotions in control?"

"You don't need to worry about that right now Naruto. Bee, don't tell him stuff like that."

"I'm only telling him the truth. Eventually he'll learn lotions true use."

A few minutes later as Bee laid a few feet away unconscious, Yugito began instructing Naruto on the art of meditation.

"It sounds boring. Can you teach me how to turn into a giant like you can sis?"

"You're a couple of years too early to even be thinking about that technique kiddo. If you ever want to use all of the cool jinchuriki abilities that I know then the first step is mastering this." Naruto pouted but he listened to his sister and sat down with his legs crossed.

"Take deep breaths and try to empty your mind. It may take awhile but... Naruto?" Something was strange. She expected Naruto to have a lot more trouble than this with meditation. She poked his shoulder but received no response. She knew he wasn't asleep because he had a habit of snoring so he must have been drawn inside of his own mindscape somehow.

"Is it Kurama? No it can't be. Kurama and Naruto can communicate without Naruto needing to be drawn into his mind. Then what is it?"

"What are you doing here Naruto? I'm trying to get some sleep."

"I thought you called me. Sis was teaching me how to meditate when I just sort of got sucked in here."

"That doesn't make any sense. If I didn't call you here then... I thought I sensed something strange about the seal. I should have expected something like this from you... Kushina."

"Kushina?" Naruto repeated as he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with a beautiful red haired woman in a green dress.

"You would know her as... Mother." Kurama explained as he turned his back to the loving scene unfolding outside his cage.

"My baby..." Kushina whispered as she hugged Naruto gently. Naruto returned the embrace with tears in his eyes.

"I don't understand... How?"

"I poured some of my spirit into your seal so that I could meet you. I intended it as a fail-safe in case Kurama went mad again but it seems that he's returned to his original state of mind."

"How could you speak about it so plainly? What I did to you was unforgivable."

"What are you talking about mommy?"

"Naruto... It all started the night you were born. That was the night that the masked man appeared."

"Masked man?" The third asked back in the present day. "I never knew about any masked man. I was under the impression that your mothers seal broke under the stress of childbirth."

"I know. Apparently this guy showed up right after I was born and used me as a hostage. My dad fought him off but he managed to release Kurama and hypnotize him with a genjutsu. That's why he attacked the village."

"... I had my suspicions of the attack but this... This is troubling. What kind of genjutsu was it? It would need to be one of incredible power to hypnotize a tailed beast."

"..."

"Naruto?"

"Sharingan... It was a sharingan that hypnotized Kurama."

"... I see. Please go on with your story."

"Okay, after she explained everything about the night that I was born I was really mad about a couple of things."

"You killed my parents..." Naruto stared at Kurama's back, speechless.

"Baby, you shouldn't blame him for that. He wasn't himself."

"Stop, just... Stop! Stop making excuses for me! It wasn't the genjutsu! I was freed from the genjutsu during my fight with Minato and Gamabunta. When I killed you two I... I knew what I was doing. I finally had a chance at freedom after all the years of imprisonment... I could go home to my valley and... and... HOW COULD YOU FORGIVE ME! AS I RIPPED MY CLAW FREE FROM YOUR FLESH YOU LOOKED STRAIGHT INTO MY EYES AND FORGAVE ME! HOW!?" Kurama's chakra started swirling around him violently. Naruto could barely keep his footing as the waves of energy washed over him but Kushina stood in front of him and blocked Kurama's raging chakra with her own.

"You... YA GOD DAMN DRAMA QUEEN!" Kushina roared as countless golden chains erupted from her back. They flew toward Kurama and tied him up. As they pinned him to the ground some of them formed up and took the shape of a giant paddle.

"NO!" Kurama screamed in fear as he realized what was happening. The golden paddle descended on Kurama's rear end no differently than it would have a misbehaving child.

"YA GONNA CRY ABOUT IT!? YA GONNA CRY, BABY FOX?!" Kushina raised the golden paddle extra high for the final smack. The sound of the paddle making contact with Kurama was so deafening that Naruto had to cover his ears.

"... Did that really happen or are you exaggerating?" The third hokage asked unsurprisingly suspect of the story at this point."

"If I'm lying I'm dying. I was just as surprised as you are."

"So what happened after your mother... Disciplined Kurama?"

"She convinced me and Kurama to put our past behind us and focus on becoming strong enough to fight the masked man when he comes for us. I still had one thing I needed to ask her before she left though."

"So my dad was really the fourth hokage?"

"Yes. His name was Minato Namikaze and he was a wonderful man. You look so much like him. I bet the girls will be all over you when you get older."

"... Did the third hokage know I was his son?"

"Naruto..." The third bowed his head, expecting Naruto to yell at him for lying to him in his youth. He was surprised when no such outburst came.

"She explained it all to me. I understand why you never told me and I forgive you for it. Dad had his enemies and if they knew about me... I mean, the stone village calls him the yellow devil for crying out loud. I never would have been safe if they caught wind of me. Anyway, me and mom had a heart to heart right before her chakra ran out and her spirit faded. She told me a lot like how to make chakra chains like she can. It's really not that hard if you have the right kind of chakra like we do."

The hokage sat back in his chair and took a nice long hit of his pipe, taking in all of this new information.

"I'm glad that you understand the situation I was in. It pained me every time I had to lie to you about your parents. Now about the key, I'm sorry to say that I do not have it. The key was inscribed on the belly of one of your fathers toad summons and given to his master Jiraiya."

"You mean my worthless bum of a godfather? Mom told me about him too. You I can forgive for lying to me but what he did was unacceptable. He left me to fend for myself in a world that hated me. I don't want to see that man if I can help it."

"I understand your anger Naruto but if you wish to be a true Jinchuriki you must find him and convince him to unseal the fox's full power. Until then you can only use as much chakra as the fox can safely pump through the seal without breaking it."

Naruto sighed defeated. "Where is that old bum anyway?"

"He's off searching for Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru... There's something you should know about Orochimaru."

"If it's about his immortality jutsu I already know."

"So the old pervert figured that much out? Orochimaru was planning on jumping into my body but Kurama put an end to that pretty quickly."

"We have reason to believe the next target for his jutsu is a boy in this village named Sasuke Uchiha. We suspect Orochimaru wants him for his eyes."

"That's not all he wants. Orochimaru loves rare bloodlines and goes out of his way to keep dying ones around. I saw a ton of people from dying clans when I was there. A crystal style user, a bone style user, and even a couple more Uzumaki. He made it perfectly clear to all of them that he was expecting them to breed for him eventually."

"More Uzumaki? How many?"

"Three. Two of them were just as screwed up in the head as Orochimaru was. The other one... The other one wasn't like that. She was good to me and wanted to escape together. Orochimaru sent her away from me when he found out though."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to inform Jiraiya to keep an eye out for her?"

"Yeah. Her name was Karin and she's pretty easy to spot. She's got the Uzumaki's red hair and wears glasses. She focuses more on science and stuff so her ninja training isn't that intense. She's pretty skinny."

"I'll do everything I can to find her. Thank you for bringing this information to me Naruto."

"Don't mention it old man. Just promise to get that bastard for me. "

"I promise Naruto. I will not allow this monster to roam free any longer."

"Ya know for a second there you actually sounded intimidating." Naruto said with a big foxy grin.

"I was once known as the god of shinobi. You'd do well to remember that boy. Even in my old age I could decimate you with my little pinky."

"I don't doubt it. The raikage once beat me up with his big toe."

The third imagined what that must have looked like and started to crack up laughing. Naruto soon joined in.

"Hahahaha! Naruto if you ever feel the need to return to your homeland we will welcome you with open arms."

"Yeah I know. I'm not leaving my big sis though so don't count on that happening."

"I assumed you were gonna say that. I had to ask because of my advisers though."

"I bet those old fogeys are gonna yell at you for not trying to bribe me with money and women or some other nonsense."

"Most likely. Your just like your father so doing that would be pointless. He was not one to accept bribes. I remember he once tossed a man off the roof for attempting to bribe him."

"Really?! He didn't kill him did he?"

"No, I was there to catch him. Your father did it as a way to send a message to anyone who thought his integrity was questionable."

"I'll have to remember that when I become the raikage someday."

"Oh you wish to become the raikage? I remember the days you used to spend running around the village claiming to be the hokage when you grew up."

"If it was up to me I'd be the kage of all five villages! If I could do that then I could stop everyone from fighting and make the world a much more peaceful place."

"Hahahaha! You never cease to amaze me Naruto. If anyone can unite the five villages I believe it would be you. That reminds me. A few years ago one of my sons started his own family. My grandson reminds me a lot of you. He claims that he will be the hokage one day and runs around the village pulling pranks like you did. I would like you to meet him. He should be arriving any seco"

"OLD MAN!" A small child dove through the door holding a shuriken in his hand. "I'M GONNA DEFEAT YOU AND BECOME THE FIFTH HOKAGE!"

The small child ran forward only to trip and fall flat on his face.

"That hurt."

The hokage face palmed and Naruto was holding back a huge laugh.

"Konohamaru... It's not a sneak attack if I told you to come here at this time."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

"WHO IS THIS BLOND JERK WHO DARES TO LAUGH AT THE NEXT HOKAGE!"

"Who am I? I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be the raikage one day!"

"The raikage! That makes you my rival! I challenge you to a duel"

"Aren't you a little young to be challenging awesome ninja like me to a duel?"

"The only awesome ninja here is me! You're just a big blond idiot with a stupid face!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME PUNK!"

"YOU HEARD ME SHORTY!"

"I'M TALLER THAN YOU SHRIMP!"

"I'M JUST A LITTLE BOY! WHATS YOUR EXCUSE!?"

"ENOUGH!" The third hokage finally yelled out.

Both boys were shocked and started bowing down apologizing to the hokage.

"You two are so alike in many ways. I would go as far as to say you two deserve each other. The reason I called you two here is that in the time Naruto is here in the village I wouldn't mind the two of you spending some time together. I believe you two could learn a lot from each other. Konohamaru, if you do intend to be the hokage one day you need to learn how to make friendships with foreigners. The same goes for you in your quest to be the raikage Naruto. I believe it could be a mutually beneficial friendship."

Both boys looked at each other and shook hands.

"If that's what you want grandpa I guess I can spend some time with this guy."

"You were right when you said this kid was like me. I wouldn't mind pulling a prank or two with him."

"You like to pull pranks too?"

"Of course! didn't you hear stories about me? I'm the guy who painted the hokage monument with graffiti.

"THAT WAS YOU!? YOU'RE MY PRANKSTER IDOL!"

"What have I done?" Sarutobi said aloud as the two pranksters walked out of his office.

Naruto introduced Konohamaru to Yugito and after making plans to meet each other after his morning training session the two parted ways and Naruto and his sister made their way back toward the hotel.

Later at the hidden base of the ROOT foundation the same anbu who watched Naruto and his team walk into the ice cream shop with Hinata and friends following close behind was giving his report to his boss. The boss was an older man with bandages covering large portions of his body.

"I thank you for bringing me this information. You may go now."

The anbu disappeared from sight instantly leaving Danzo to ponder this new information by himself.

"So not only has the fourths legacy returned but there exists in this village a girl with interest in him. I could use this to my advantage but I must be careful. The girl is the very same hyuga that was almost kidnapped by the cloud all those years ago. I must find a way to push the two together without the rest of her clan getting in the way. I must also find a way to distance the boy from the cloud village. I wonder if he knows about what the cloud tried to do to his mother."

Danzo was snapped out of his thoughts when yet another of his anbu subordinates appeared.

"Sir, we have found the resting place of the three tails like you requested. He is hibernating in a lake one weeks journey from the village."

"Excellent. Mobilize the sealing team. I want that demon in our hands as soon as possible. Also bring me the files I requested on possible Jinchuriki candidates."

"Yes sir."

Danzo was once again left alone with his thoughts.

"Yet another demon shows itself to me. If I play my cards right we could have two of the tailed beasts under the control of the leaf."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5 rewrite

Naruto had just finished his early morning training with his sister and teammates and was getting ready to spend time with the third hokage's grandson like he promised. He walked out of his hotel and noticed someone trying to hide behind a camouflage cloak that was being held the wrong way.

"Is that you Konohamaru?"

The boy dropped the cloak and smiled. "As expected of my new rival. Even a master of stealth like myself can't hide from you."

"Uh, Konohamaru you were holding the cloak the wrong way. It wasn't hard to see you."

Konohamaru started blushing and rubbing the back of his head. "What are we going to do today boss?" The embarrassed boy said, trying to change the subject.

Naruto got a devilish grin on his face. "Today we are gonna pull some pranks."

"Oh what kind of pranks!" Konohamaru was visibly excited at the mention of pulling pranks.

"Some awesome pranks! I haven't been able to get much pranking done because my big sis is always catching me, but today I set her up on a date so we should be able to get some serious pranking done while she focuses on that."

In the hotels shared bath house Yugito was currently soaking in a bath with karui beside her after the morning training.

"ACHOO! Looks like someones talking about me."

"Maybe it's that guy Naruto set you up on a date with."

"I told you it's not a date."

"You're letting him treat you to ice cream how is that not a date?"

"Shut up Karui." Yugito was blushing wildly.

"Whatever, be in denial for all I care. You know that idiots probably gonna go try and pull a bunch of pranks right?"

"I know. I figure I'll let him loose just for today. I trust him not to pull anything that leads to an international incident."

"You trust that dumbass way more than I do."

Karui got a firm slap upside her head for that comment. "Don't cuss so much."

"OW! You didn't have to hit me that hard."

Back with the boys they were strolling through some back alleys as Naruto was explaining his game plan to Konohamaru."Okay Konohamaru I figure we'll pull a couple of smaller pranks as a warm up then we'll move on to the big one I have planned today."

"Sure thing boss what kind of prank do you want to pull first?"

"Teehee, I'll show you one of my favorite pranks first. Follow me."

The two jumped on the roofs and started jumping around town till they found a good mark. "Those two are perfect." Naruto pointed out a couple on the street walking hand in hand.

"How are we gonna prank them boss?"

"Watch and learn young grasshopper." Naruto put his hands into a seal in preparation for a jutsu.

"Transform." Naruto suddenly turned into a beautiful women with large "assets" and long flowing blonde hair tied into pig tails. She was wearing an orange shirt that hugged her figure tightly and black shorts that showed off practically every inch of her legs.

"Woah" Was all Konohamaru could say as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him with a blush.

"Teehee, like what you see Konohamaru? I call this my sexy jutsu."

"Boss you have GOT to teach me that one!"

"Maybe later, for now just watch and learn."

Naruto jumped down from the roof around a corner in front of where the couple were heading. He turned the corner and started walking the opposite direction as them while whistling a happy melody. As he walked he made sure to sway his hips side to side in an alluring way. He passed the couple and the man turned his head to stare at Naruto's rather plump behind. The woman of course saw this and immediately slapped the man in the back of the head and called him a pervert. She broke her hand free from the mans and stormed off with the man offering apology after apology while chasing after her.

"Works every time!" Naruto yelled excitedly after the couple were out of earshot.

Konohamaru jumped down from the roof and had a look of pure admiration on his face. "Boss that was amazing! You have to teach me that technique sometime!"

"Later, I got a few more pranks to show you before I let you in on the details for the big prank."

As the two started jumping around the roofs looking for more marks Naruto couldn't help but wonder about his sister and Iruka.

"They should be meeting up right about now. I hope those two hook up so I don't have to hear sis complaining about "not getting laid" again."

Not long after Naruto and Konohamaru had left, Iruka picked up Yugito from the hotel and took her to the same ice cream shop she took her team the day before. Yugito was currently devouring the ice cream at a speed that would rival Naruto when he eats ramen.

"My... you certainly have a strong appetite today."

Yugito stopped eating and blushed. "I really like ice cream... Anything with milk or cream in it really."

"Oh I see. Well at least milk is healthy. Naruto's obsession with ramen has to be one of the most unhealthy habits I've ever seen."

"Don't worry about that. I make sure that he gets proper nutrition. Even if I have to force the fruits and vegetables down his throat."

"Haha, that's good. That boy needs a firm hand to keep him in line. I hear he hasn't been doing as many pranks because of you."

"I can usually catch him before he gets the big ones off. He still likes to harass people who piss him off though."

All of a sudden the two hear a woman just outside the store yelling at a man for being a "nasty pervert who likes underage girls".

"That was probably Naruto's handiwork." Yugito said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked curiously.

"He likes to transform into an attractive teenage girl and walk around in front of couples to expose the unfaithful guys."

"Wow, that's a dick move."

Yugito was taken aback by the brash and vulgar way Iruka described Naruto's favorite prank and started laughing hysterically. Iruka started blushing wildly.

"I don't know why I said that. It just sort of slipped out. I'm very sorry, that was incredibly inappropriate."

"Hahahaha, its okay. I like guys who tell it like it is." After she realized what she said she started blushing just like Iruka. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for awhile until Iruka decided to speak.

"So uh... tell me about how you and Naruto became family."

"Back when Naruto came to my village he was still just an innocent child. I was amazed that someone who could have experienced such painful experiments at the hands of that monster could still have such a positive outlook on life. I decided that I would adopt him and treat him like the little brother I always wanted."

"That's not all, right? You wanted to help him because you know the kind of life people like you tend to have."

"Yes... I didn't want him to have the same lonely childhood I had. People with our condition have to stay together."

"Don't talk about it like it's a sickness. There is nothing wrong with you two."

"... Thank you. I can tell you are a kind understanding man. I'm glad he had a friend like you while he was here."

"I wasn't always this understanding. I didn't like Naruto at first but something he did changed my opinion of him."

Iruka began reminiscing about the time he and Naruto first met. Iruka was taking a casual stroll through the parks of the village when he noticed three boys pushing around a small girl with white eyes and blue hair. Iruka immediately ran toward them to stop them but before he could get close enough an orange and yellow flash knocked one of the boys down.

"Stop picking on people you big dumb bully!"

"Who the heck are you!?" The bully yelled out from under Naruto.

"I'm the guy who's gonna be the hokage one day! I won't let bad guys like you hurt anybody in this village!"

"Get him off me you morons!" The boy yelled to his underlings who quickly grabbed Naruto and started to punch and kick him.

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Iruka finally yelled out and the three boys turned and ran from the sight of the angry man in front of them.

Iruka ran up and saw that the girl was crying over the boys chest. "I-I'm sorry. I-If I wasn't s-so w-weak you w-wouldn't need to s-save me."

"Lady Hinata?"

"K-Ko?"

Suddenly an older hyuga man showed up and asked Hinata what just happened. She explained that she was getting bullied and that she was saved by the boy and older man. The hyuga thanked Iruka for helping Hinata and quickly took her away.

"W-Wait Ko! Wh-what about th-that boy?"

"Lady Hinata it's in your best interest to ignore that child. He is not the kind of boy you should associate with."

"B-But he saved m-me."

"That man saved you, not the boy. Now please be quiet and don't mention that boy again. Especially in front of your father." Hinata hung her head in defeat and was silent all the way home. Iruka on the other hand stood by Naruto.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. Is that girl okay?"

"Yes, her caretaker just took her home."

"Good. I hate it when bad guys hurt pretty girls."

"That was really brave of you to jump in and help her like that."

"Well if I'm going to be the hokage one day I'm gonna have to get used to helping people."

"I have an idea. Do you want me to take you to eat something as a reward for your bravery?"

"Yes sir!" Naruto's face lit up with a huge smile at the prospect of food.

"Have you ever had Ramen before? There's a really good ramen stand nearby."

"Ramen? Never heard of it. Is it good?"

"Why don't you be the judge of that?"

"Okay I will!"

Iruka took Naruto by his tiny hand and walked him to Ichiraku ramen where Naruto ate his first and definitely not last bowl of ramen.

"And that's the day Naruto discovered ramen and also the day he became like a brother to me."

Yugito was silent as she processed what she just heard. "A young hyuga girl? It must have been the same one we saw yesterday."

Yugito was snapped back to reality when she heard Iruka clear his throat. "That's certainly an interesting story. Even now Naruto will jump into a fight to protect someone weaker than him."

"Yeah, I've heard rumors about what happened in the wave country. Would you mind telling me the whole story of what happened there?"

"Wave country huh? That's an interesting one for sure. The mission was supposed to be a simple assassination. Get in and kill the shipping tycoon Gato and then get out. Naruto didn't want to kill him though."

"Why? Gato is a notorious criminal. I would think Naruto of all people would jump at a chance to get rid of such a man."

"Naruto is very idealistic. He wanted to make Gato stand trial for his crimes. He rounded up some civilians and gave a rousing speech about standing up for yourself. He inspired the people to take up arms and with me and the other two members of our team we were able to storm his hideout and wipe out his entire army of thugs."

"It was that easy? But Gato is known for hiring rogue ninja. They didn't try and stop you?"

"One of the perks of being like me and Naruto is that some ninja know better than to mess with you. The rogue ninja he hired cut their losses and got out of their the second they realized who I was. Anyway, we took Gato prisoner and he was put on trial by the people. They found him guilty and he was publicly executed."

"What about the bridge? I heard they named it after Naruto."

"Yes, well the bridge was the reason Gato was in the wave. The people were trying to build it as a way to break free of Gato's control. He was staying in the wave until he could find and assassinate the bridge builder. Luckily the bridge builder went into hiding right before the contract came in on Gato's life. He came back after he heard of Gato's death and with Naruto and my teams help finished the bridge."

"...To think that goofy little kid I used to take out for ramen would grow into such a hero."

"If you think it's weird for you imagine how it is for me. I used to sit him down and help him with his homework. That boy couldn't even read or write before he met me, and forget about him doing math."

"Hahaha I remember how angry he would get when he would see numbers. He would always start yelling"

"Numbers are stupid and whoever thought of them is a jerk!" Both of the adults said at the same time.

The two started a light hearted laugh. "You know miss Yugito, I'm glad you and Naruto found each other. He deserves to have a family as great as you."

"I'm not that great of a family." Yugito was once again blushing. "Every month I have a get together with a bunch of my girlfriends and we like to drink and talk about girl stuff. Naruto hates it. We can get pretty loud and raunchy sometimes and its part of the reason he became such a pervert."

"Come on you can't be that bad when you get together with your friends."

Yugito bent over the table and whispered something into Irukas ear. Iruka instantly blushed at a level that would rival Hinata. "That's the kind of stuff we talk about."

"Well... that's interesting."

"Naruto overheard that conversation and I caught him the next day looking in an anatomy textbook trying to understand what we were talking about."

"Of all the things he would be interested in studying it had to be that."

Both adults were blushing in yet another uncomfortable silence. "Well I should probably get going now. I'm an academy teacher and I have to get my lesson plan for tomorrow done."

As Iruka got up his hand was suddenly grabbed by Yugito. "Will I see you again?"

"Well we could always have dinner or something together."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah. Here's my address."

Iruka wrote his address on a piece of paper and handed it to Yugito. "Come over at around eight tonight and I'll make something for us."

"I'll be there."

Iruka walked off and Yugito was in the shop alone. "Why am I feeling like this? He's a foreigner. But he makes me so happy and no one back home even thinks about touching me. I have to get a hold of myself... I'm not about to give it up to a man after only one date."

"Wouldn't it technically be two dates if you go tonight?"

"You don't talk to me for two days and this is what you butt in with?"

"I don't see the problem with this. You're both attracted to each other so there should be no reason you two can't mate."

"You wouldn't understand. Humans can't just go around mating whenever we want without consequences."

"Your species invented birth control. You're the only animals in the world that can."

"..."

"Well?"

"I'm done talking to you."

Elsewhere in the village Naruto and Konohamaru were preparing for their final prank of the day. "Okay Konohamaru, I've shown you all of my favorite pranks, now it's time for us to pull the ultimate prank."

"What are we gonna do boss?"

"You and I are going to challenge the hokage to a duel."

"Are you crazy? How is that a prank? We're gonna get our butts kicked."

"It's a prank because we aren't going to fight. We'll challenge him and then I'll bust out my ultimate anti pervert technique."

"Ooooohhhhh what kind of technique is it boss?"

"It puts my sexy jutsu to shame! Come on and I'll show you."

The two bolted toward the hokage tower to challenge the hokage. It was getting late into the afternoon so the hokage should have been finished with his paperwork. When the two arrived they opened the door to find the third reading a small orange book.

"AHA! I KNEW YOU WERE A PERVERT OLD MAN!"

"GRANDPA! HOW COME YOU CAN READ THOSE BOOKS AND I CAN'T!?"

Both boys yelled at the hokage causing him to drop his book in shock. "Naruto, Konohamaru, what are you two doing here?"

"We're here to challenge you to an honorable duel!"

"Yeah, an honorable duel grandpa!"

Naruto suddenly put his hands into a strange seal Konohamaru had never seen before. "My ultimate anti pervert Jutsu! First I start off with this. Shadow clone jutsu!"

About ten Naruto's suddenly appeared in the room. Konohamaru and the hokage were both shocked but the hokage was even more so because he knew how dangerous this jutsu was.

"He learned the shadow clone jutsu?! The raikage let him learn a forbidden technique!?"

"Now for the second part! Transform!"

Suddenly the Naruto's were all changed into naked teenage girls identical to the one earlier in the day.

"Oh lord Hokage! You're such a handsome man! let me give you a big wet kiss!" The clones all said in unison. Suddenly a geyser of blood shot out of the hokage's nose and he fell over unconscious.

"Success!" Both the boys said in unison before they ran out the door high fiving each other along the way.

The third hokage regained consciousness quickly and sat back in his chair.

"My, what an interesting jutsu."

"Lord Hokage?"

The third turned around in his chair and saw a silver haired jonin wearing a mask. "Yes Kakashi?"

"That was awesome."

"Indeed. What brings you around here at this time Kakashi?"

"I've received word from Jiraiya. He's found a promising lead on Orochimaru but he'll be here as soon as he can."

"Keep me updated. Knowing Jiraiya he'll just show up one day at a hot spring. He was never one for protocol."

"Understood" With that Kakashi bowed to the Hokage and jumped out the open window he used to get in.

"Now where was I?" The hokage picked up his orange book and kept reading.


	6. Chapter 6

ch. 6 rewrite

It was already dark when Naruto dropped off Konohamaru at the Sarutobi clan compound. Naruto left him with a promise to teach him the sexy jutsu whenever he had some free time. A sudden rumbling in Naruto's stomach sent him to Ichiraku ramen where he saw Teuchi's daughter Ayame.

"Hey Ayame! Do you remember me!"

She looked at him for a few seconds until she realized. "Naruto!"

She grabbed him in a bone crunching hug and lifted him off the ground. "AH AYAME! YOU'RE GONNA CRUSH ME AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THE CHUNIN EXAMS!"

She placed the boy back down with a happy look on her face. "I missed you Naruto. Me and dad were really worried about you."

"Yeah I know. I already met your dad yesterday. He didn't tell you I was back in town?"

"He told me to expect a visit from a VIP sometime in the next few days. He probably expected you to come in and surprise me sometime."

"Like I just did?" Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Well yeah. Anyway sit down and I'll make you my new specialty ramen."

Naruto did as instructed and he started conversing with Ayame as she cooked. "So how have things been Ayame?"

"Things have been good. A little boring without you here though."

"People keep telling me that."

"How are things in the cloud village?"

"The cloud village isn't so bad. I've got good friends and a big sister to take care of me."

"Oh, you should bring her here sometime so I can meet her."

"I'll try but tomorrow I'm gonna start doing some hard last minute training for the chunin exams. I won't have a lot of free time."

"Chunin exams huh? Are you gonna kick some butt?"

"You bet! I'm gonna demolish all the competition and prove I'm the best!"

Ayame had a chuckle at Naruto's boisterous attitude. "So Naruto do you have a special girl back at the cloud village?"

"None of the girls my age back at the cloud village really catch my eye. There is one girl I saw here in this village that caught my attention though." Naruto said with a big blush visible on his cheeks.

"What's she like? Maybe I've seen her around."

"She's got really pretty blue hair and white eyes. I saw her and some other girls at an ice cream shop the other day. At first she just sort of blended into the background and I didn't notice her but once I took a closer look I realized she was really pretty and that she kind of liked me. I'm thinking of asking her out sometime."

"White eyes? You mean a hyuga?"

"Yeah. Hinata was her name."

"Hinata? I think I know that girl. My friend who works at the local bakery talks about a hyuga girl named Hinata who buys cinnamon buns from her."

"Really!? What does she say about her?" Naruto was excited at the prospect of learning more about the girl he was so interested in.

"She's apparently a really timid girl. Hyuga women have a reputation for being spoiled and rude but my friend told me that she's really kind and considerate. One day when they were short staffed at my friends bakery Hinata offered to help and spent the whole day in the kitchen."

"Yeah, she seemed like the nicest one of the girls I met yesterday. The other two were really pretty but they didn't have the same kind of inner beauty that Hinata had."

Ayame couldn't help herself from bursting into laughter. "Huh, whats so funny Ayame?"

"I'm sorry!" Ayame said as she suppressed her laughter. "It's just the way you described her as having an inner beauty was just so adorable."

Naruto got a huge blush on his face yet again and sat in silence until his food was done. He devoured it in an instant and paid Ayame.

"It was good to see you again Naruto. I hope things work out between you and that girl. Just tell her about her inner beauty and I bet she'll fall in love with you on the spot."

"S-see you later Ayame."

Naruto ran off embarrassed and found himself on some rooftops somewhere. He took out a pocket watch and looked at the time.

"It's still not that late. What else can I do tonight?"

"Naruto, I have a favor to ask."

"Kurama? You've been pretty quiet the past couple of days. Whats up?"

"Ever since we've been in the village I've been sensing something really weird. I think that there might be another jinchuriki besides you and Yugito."

"How is that possible? I was the only jinchuriki in this village."

"This one might be a genin here to take the chunin exams like you. Focus for a second and you should be able to sense him not too far from here."

Naruto complied with Kurama's wishes by sitting in a meditative position and activating his sensory powers. He was soon able to sense every person in the entire village. He could feel everything they were feeling and could even pinpoint their exact location.

"Okay, what exactly am I looking for?"

"Imagine if I was bat shit insane and a lot weaker. If I'm right then this jinchuriki is paired with Shukaku, the one tail."

"Okay I think I found him. He's in a hotel in the rich part of town... Good god, you weren't kidding about this guy. He'd give Tayuya a run for her money with how screwed up his head is.

"Then it's as I feared. Shukaku has gotten to him."

"What's up with Shukaku? Is he really that bad?"

"It's partly his fault that the jinchuriki tradition exists. He hates humanity. Unlike the rest of us who either learned to coexist with humans or ignore them, Shukaku actively sought conflict with them. To be honest I've been wanting to beat some sense into him for a long time."

"Before we do that I want to try talking it out. Maybe I can help them like Bee did for you and me."

"Fine. Be warned that I will intervene if you end up fighting him. I don't care if you refuse my power when fighting the other genin but I will not stay my hand against another jinchuriki."

"I got it. Don't worry I would have asked for your help anyway."

"Good. Now whats the plan Naruto? Are you going to tell Yugito about this?"

"I'll tell her tomorrow. I don't want to get in the way of her date tonight. It seems to be going pretty well from what I can tell."

Pretty well was an understatement. Yugito and Iruka were having a great time swapping stories about their careers and their friends.

"So let me get this straight, They had an actual dick measuring contest?"

"Yes and they kept begging me to be the one to measure. It was kind of creepy actually."

"I had a pair of girlfriends who made me measure their chest size once, so I can relate."

"It's hard being the only sane one in a group sometimes isn't it?"

"You can say that again. Can you excuse me for a second while I go to the bathroom?"

"Of course."

Yugito got up and walked over to the bathroom. Iruka was a gentleman but even the most noble of man has to peek when a woman with a behind shaped like Yugito's is walking away. Of course being the gentleman that he was, his peek was brief. He turned away, his face flushed. Little did he know that Yugito's face was equally flushed.

"Shit! I've got to think of an excuse to get out of here before I do something stupid."

"Or you could mate with him like I've been telling you to this whole time."

"God damn it Matatabi!"

"Just do it!"

"I can't!"

"Do it!"

"No!"

"You want it and he wants it, so just do it! Do it!"

"You don't understand... I can't do it because I forgot my birth control at home like a dumbass! I remembered when you mentioned birth control earlier."

"Then make him wear a god damn condom!"

"What if he doesn't have any? I don't want to get his hopes up for nothing."

"For fucks sake Yugito, there's a convenience store right around the corner. He can go buy some."

"Yeah but what if he get's really embarrassed and can't buy them?"

"I swear to god I'll supercharge your hormones if you don't have a dick in you within ten minutes. You think your horny now? This is nothing compared to what I can make you experience."

"Fine! I'm going!"

Iruka jumped when his bathroom door swung open and a scarlet Yugito walked out.

"Do you have any condoms here or do we need to buy some?" She asked bluntly.

"... Naruto dropped some off while we were out earlier."

"Hold on a sec... Both their chakra signatures just got way hotter. I think they're about to... OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH! WE HAVE PENETRATION!"

"YES! My man Iruka closing the deal!"

"Good thing we dropped off those rubbers earlier. It was a little awkward with Konohamaru with us, but it was worth it."

"I'm so glad this happened. Now I don't need to listen to sis complaining about how she can't get laid."

"Speaking of getting laid, I sense a cute little white eyed honey not too far from here. Want to test our luck?"

"You are one perverted fox you know that?"

"That's why we make such a good team."

"You got that right! Okay lets go get her!"

Hinata was very conflicted right now. All she could think about the past two days was how her childhood crush just appeared out of nowhere and just happened to be a ninja from the most hated village in the hyuga clan. She didn't even know why the hyuga hated the cloud so much and she was afraid to ask. It was driving her crazy thinking about it all. She finally decided to get her mind off of everything by going out and buying some cinnamon buns. She was just leaving the bakery when she ran into the very source of her current stress.

"Hey beautiful!" Naruto blurted out as he jumped off the roof in front of a shocked Hinata.

"N-NARUTO!"

"Did he just call me beautiful?"

"I was just walking around the village and saw you so I decided to see how you were doing."

"I-I'm al-alright." Hinata was blushing blood red already.

"Teehee, you're really cute when you're blushing."

"Y-You think i-i'm cute!?"

"Well yeah! I couldn't stop thinking about you yesterday! In fact I was wondering if maybe you wanted to spend some time together?"

"YES! I-I m-mean I w-would like that very mu-much."

"Okay then let's go!"

Naruto grabbed Hinata by the hand and took her away. Hinata was so stunned by the recent turn of events that she wasn't thinking straight. She regained her composure after a few minutes and started talking to Naruto.

"N-Naruto... wh-where are we go-going?"

"I'm going to take you to my favorite place in this whole village. Well second favorite place to be honest. I'll take you to my favorite place on our next date."

"D-Date?!" Hinata lost herself in a daydream as she began fantasizing about what she wanted to happen tonight. Though her fantasy was tame by most standards it was enough by her standards to paint her face with a crimson blush.

"Okay we're here." Hinata snapped out of her daydreams when she realized she was on the observation deck in front of the hokage monument.

"This is my second favorite place in the village. I love looking at the faces of the kage because it inspires me to surpass them."

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a little while as Hinata was too embarrassed to say anything and Naruto couldn't think of anything else to say. Naruto thought back to when he would spy on other people on dates and thought of what to say next.

"So tell me more about yourself Hinata. I bet you have all sorts of kick ass stories about your life as a ninja."

"W-Well..." Hinata steeled her resolve and made a mental vow to stop stuttering.

"I don't have many stories about being a ninja but I can tell you that my hobbies are gardening and that I love cinnamon buns." Hinata was beyond proud of herself. She actually got through a sentence talking to Naruto without a stutter.

"Gardening huh? I always kind of liked flowers but the lightning country sucks for growing stuff. Fertilizer is expensive and there are so many clouds around it's hard to grow plants that need a lot of sunlight."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you can go to the Yamanaka clans flower shop and find some flowers that will grow in that regions climate." Hinata was cheering in her head at yet another sentence without a stutter.

"That's a great idea. You're really smart Hinata."

Naruto started staring into Hinata's eyes making her regain the blush she had successfully suppressed earlier.

"You're also really pretty and you have nice chakra."

"I-I have ni-nice chakra?" The stutter was back and Hinata was mentally berating herself for slipping back into that habit so easily.

"Yeah. You see, I'm a sensory ninja so I can feel people's chakra. You have a really warm chakra. It's the chakra of someone with a kind heart. It reminds me a lot of my mother. My mother told me once that I should find a girl who is like her. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I kind of like you and I was wondering if you would be my"

Suddenly Naruto found himself on the ground with a very angry kunoichi pinning him down by his arm. Normally Naruto would have been happy having a woman that looked like this on top of him, but in this situation he was obviously not.

"Hinata! are you alright? Did this cloud ninja hurt you or try to make you do something you didn't want?"

"K-KURENAI SENSEI!"

"I WASN'T DOING ANYTHING BAD I SWEAR!" Naruto had tears developing in his eyes from the pain of having Kurenai twist his arm. It hurt almost as bad as when his sister twists his ear.

"Listen cloud ninja as I'll only say this once. Stay away from my student or I'll make you regret it."

"KURENAI SENSEI! PLEASE GET OFF OF NARUTO!"

Kurenai whipped her around and stared at Hinata.

"This boy is Naruto?" Kurenai had heard the stories of the jinchuriki who left the village as a child but she had no idea that the boy she was manhandling was that same jinchuriki.

"P-please Kurenai sensei. Naruto and I were just talking."

Kurenai finally let go of Naruto and let him stand up.

"First my ear and now my arm. Why do grown women like beating me up so much?"

"I think you should go now cloud ninja. I don't want to see you hanging around my student anymore. Do I make myself clear?"

"That's not your decision to make now is it? Hinata seemed to enjoy my company."

Kurenai started slowly walking toward Naruto.

"You have five seconds to get out of my sight. Five."

"Ah man, I'm sorry Hinata."

"Four."

"It's okay Naruto. Please don't blame yourself."

"THREE!"

"OKAY I GET IT! I'm gone."

Naruto jumped away and left the two kunoichi alone. As soon as he was out of ear shot Kurenai turned to Hinata.

"K-Kurenai sensei, why did you do that?"

"Hinata... It's time you learned the truth about why your clan hates the cloud."


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7 Rewrite

It was finally the day of the first part of the chunin exams and Naruto was beyond excited. Not only was he convinced he was going to dominate the exams but he was sure he was going to get the chance to see Hinata again. He was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement until his sister Yugito came in and gave him a firm smack on the head.

"HURRY UP AND GET READY! I WANT YOU THREE THERE EARLY!"

Her yelling woke up the still sleeping Omoi and he and Naruto quickly got ready and left the room to find a fully prepared Karui waiting for them.

"You two lazy asses need to shape up. I've been ready for almost half an hour." Karui had a vein throbbing on her forehead as she said that.

"We have a little over an hour and a half to get there. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Naruto said in a slightly playful tone.

"What was that about my panties?" Karui shot Naruto an evil eye while grasping her sword in one hand.

"Uh... Nothing." Naruto responded visibly shaken.

All of a sudden Yugito came out of her room and gave all three of them firm slaps on the head. "Hurry up and get out of here you morons! If you aren't out of the hotel in five seconds I will personally drag you three there with my bare hands." Yugito wasn't kidding around today and the three genin knew it.

The three genin didn't want to incur the wrath of their sensei so they ran out of the hotel at top speed. Once they were out the door Omoi spoke up.

"So how do we get to the first testing site anyway?"

"Sis said the first testing site was a room over at the academy. I know where it is so follow me."

With that the three genin took off and were on their way to taking the chunin exams. Back in the hotel, Yugito was waiting patiently on her bed staring at the clock. She perked up when she heard a knock at her window and opened it. Iruka jumped in and smiled at her with a faint blush on his face.

"Are the kids gone already?" He asked while stroking Yugito's equally blush face.

"They just left. We have until the exam gets out to do this."

"I gave Naruto a gift card for ichiraku yesterday. He's going to take his team out afterward. That should buy us another hour at least. Maybe two if Naruto decides to pig out like he usually does."

"I love a man who thinks ahead." Yugito then pushed Iruka on to the bed with force. She started straddling his waist and lightly nibbling on his neck and ear, a technique that she learned he loved on their first night together. He returned the favor by squeezing and rubbing her butt. Yugito started purring like a cat and stared deeply into Iruka's eyes. He recognized the cat like irises that replaced her normal ones whenever she got excited.

"Be gentle with me." He said as Yugito began undressing him.

"I can't promise you that." She mockingly stuck her tongue out at him then pulled his pants down.

Naruto and his team were nearing the academy when Naruto suddenly stopped and started giggling.

"Whats up Naruto?" Omoi asked.

"I know why sis wanted us gone so badly."

"Oh god." Karui already knew where this was going.

Naruto just started walking again, ignoring the confused look from Omoi and the annoyed look from Karui.

Naruto and his squad weren't the only chunin hopefuls on their way to the test. Hinata and her team were making their way to the testing site as well. Kiba was holding a sleeping Akamaru in his arms while Shino just walked with his hands in his pockets like he always does. Kiba was trying to make small talk with Shino while Hinata was stuck in a contemplative silence. She had a lot to think about recently with the revelation of her clans troubled past with the cloud village. Hinata was a mature girl for her age so she understood a lot of things that other girls may not have, such as her clan's choice to hide the truth from her when it was apparent that she didn't remember the event. What she couldn't understand was why her father, a man who prided himself on his level head could do something so rash as murder her kidnapper when it was well within his power to incapacitate him with the gentle fist.

"A shinobi must always keep his emotions under control." Hinata repeated that quote over and over in her head. It was the first thing her father said to her when she began her gentle fist training. He drilled that into her mind constantly and the overwhelming hypocrisy of it drove Hinata mad on the inside. She wanted to confront her father and tell him that she knew that her uncle died because of him but she couldn't muster up the strength. She locked herself up in her room when not training and was beginning to worry the clan.

That was only the first of her problems though. She also had to deal with the problem of her childhood crush being a member of the village who tried to kidnap her. She didn't want to believe that Naruto was the kind of person to do such a thing, but she had no idea what the cloud village could have done to him in the years since he was there. Brainwashing children was a practice that occurred often in the more immoral hidden villages and from what she could gather the cloud had a reputation for being ruthless in their search for rare bloodline abilities.

"Bark bark."

Hinata was alerted at the sound of the now wide awake Akamaru's bark. The dog was happily licking it's masters face before it stopped and jumped at Hinata. She caught the dog and let it lick her a few times before it jumped over and did the same thing to Shino. Hinata may have been a wreck mentally but seeing her teammates filled her with strength as she vowed to not let them down during the exams.

Naruto and his team made it to the academy with plenty of time to spare. They were making their way up the stairs when Kurama started talking to Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, there's a weak genjutsu over the area. The other two already dispelled it and I made sure it didn't affect you."

"Thanks Kurama. I was never very good at countering genjutsu."

The group made it to the door and walked in. There were a couple of teams already sitting around but none that looked like any sort of threat. Naruto made sure to give them all a good once over with his sensory powers and memorized their chakra signatures. He did this for everyone who walked in after them as well. His team sat down at a table near the front of the class room.

Hinata and her group reached the academy not long after Naruto. Hinata's team had also noticed the genjutsu and dispelled it instinctively. Being the students of one of the best genjutsu users in the village had it's benefits.

"Hey guys! wait up."

The three kids plus dog turned to see the Ino-Shika-Cho trio walking up to them. The two teams walked into the room together and found an unnoccupied corner to talk in.

Naruto of course instantly recognized Hinata's chakra and wanted to talk to her but was held down when he tried to stand up, by Omoi and Karui.

"Naruto, it's in our best interest not to attract attention to ourselves right now. If we pull attention to ourselves then everyone here might decide to target us and we'll have to fight them all at once."

"The idiots right. Just sit and be quiet for once in your life."

Naruto knew that his team was right but he still wanted to talk to Hinata. He decided to wait and surprise her after the first part of the exam. More and more people started to come in including the other Jinchuriki Naruto felt earlier. His murderous intent was disgusting to Naruto but he was able to keep his calm around him.

The jinchuriki himself didn't seem threatening at first glance. He was about Naruto's size except a little scrawnier. Naruto could tell he wasn't primarily a hand to hand fighter. The boys team consisted of some weirdo with a huge thing on his back and an attractive girl with a big fan.

"She's kinda hot. I can tell by her chakra she's got a pissy personality though. Not like Hinata."

"If you like that Hinata girl so much then why don't you marry her?"

"Slow down Kurama. I haven't even kissed her yet."

Naruto's thoughts were broken as another team entered through the door. This team consisted of the pink haired girl Sakura and two black haired boys.

"SAI!" Ino yelled as she jumped on the pale boy with a hug from behind.

"Ino, as much as I love the feel of your breasts on my back can you please let go of me?" Sai said with a fake smile on his face.

"You're such a bad boy Sai. Why don't you let me take you out on a date after this exam is over?"

"As much as I love your company I'm going to have to decline. I'm sorry." Sai kept his fake smile up the whole time.

"Hey, you rookies should probably keep it down." Said a white-haired boy with glasses as he walked up to the group of first timers.

Naruto wanted to keep listening to the conversation but Kurama interrupted his thoughts.

"Naruto, the black-haired boy with the blue shirt is an Uchiha."

"Uchiha? That's the guy who Orochimaru is after then."

"We should keep an eye on him. Even if he's young, he's still an Uchiha."

"I'm not too worried. Take away their eyes and the Uchiha are just like any other ninja."

"Don't be arrogant boy! The sharingan is second only to the rinnegan. You will lose if you take it lightly."

"Do me a favor and stop underestimating me. I did research on all the clans of this village before we came here. I know what the sharingan can do. Trust me, I got a plan."

"For your sake I hope you're right. By the way that group of leaf genin is getting some negative attention. I'd perk up my ears if I were you."

Taking Kurama's advice Naruto started listening intently to the room around him when his attention shifted to a group of sound genin whispering among themselves. Apparently the white-haired boy made a comment about the sound ninja that they didn't like and they were planning a surprise attack. While the white-haired boy was talking to the Uchiha the sound genin made their move and made a beeline toward him. The leader of the group revealed a large metal glove on his arm and was preparing to strike at the boy. Before he was able to complete his attack however his arm was strung up by a golden chain. All of a sudden the attention of everyone in the room was on the person who had summoned the chain. None other than everyone's favorite knucklehead.

"Hey dickhead, lighten up. You don't have to get all pissy and start attacking people over nothing." Naruto recalled the chakra chain and stared at the group of sound genin who stared back. Neither side was backing down and the onlookers were stunned at how fast things were escalating.

"Who is this guy? Whoever he is I'm going to have to watch out for him. That chain wasn't just a normal chain. It came from his body somehow." Were Sasuke's thoughts as he intently watched the scene in front of him.

"Naruto... You're still the same boy who would selflessly put himself in harms way to protect another." Hinata watched the scene and felt a wave of relief wash over her. Naruto wouldn't have bothered doing that if he wasn't the same boy he was back then.

"So that's the boy who got away from lord Orochimaru. It seems he's gained some skill in the past few years. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this one." The white-haired boy Kabuto thought as he watched the scene unfold with a smile on his face.

The staring contest was brought to an abrupt halt when the test examiners arrived in a cloud of smoke. Among the group of chunin was one jonin who stood at the center. He introduced himself as Ibiki Morino and gave the sound ninja a quick chewing out. He then went on to explain the first part of the test.

"This first test will be a written examination. You have ninety minutes to complete a ten question test. The tenth question will be given separately from the first nine in the last fifteen minutes of the exam. Anyone caught cheating will be given a two point deduction. If caught cheating five times you will automatically fail the test. If any member of a team fails the test then the entire squad fails."

"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Everyone in the rooms attention turned to Naruto.

"WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE A WRITTEN TEST!" Naruto buried his face in his arms on the table and sat quietly.

"Well that boy is certainly a funny one." The proctor thought before instructing his helpers to assign the seats for the test. After a few minutes of shifting around everyone was seated and to Naruto's delight he was lucky enough to be sitting next to the girl of his dreams. Hinata was delighted as well but she was also very nervous and didn't know what to say.

"Hey Hinata, you shouldn't be so nervous. I bet a smart girl like you will pass no problem."

"Th-Thank you Naruto."

The tests were passed out and the chunin exams officially started.


	8. Chapter 8

ch.8 Rewrite

Naruto stared down at the accursed exam with desperation and horror. He had absolutely no clue how to solve a single problem on the exam. Every one of them involved math in some way and Naruto was totally clueless when it came to such things.

"No one said there would be math." He thought as he sat and stared at his blank answer sheet, the urge to slam his face into the desk until he lost consciousness rising with each second.

Everyone around him seemed to be hard at work scribbling their answers down and Naruto felt like a complete moron. He saw Hinata put her pencil down and realizing that she had already completed the whole thing, felt like curling into the fetal position and crying like a baby. Of course if he had noticed her deactivating her byakugan he might have pieced together the true purpose of the test as she did.

"Are you seriously this stupid Naruto? The first answer is ten." Kurama chimed in after minutes of silence.

"How the hell do you know that!?"

"I've been around for a long time, I can do math. Just write down everything I say and we should be fine."

Naruto decided to take the risk and started copying down everything Kurama told him. With a few minutes to go until the tenth question he finished. While he waited he decided to check up on how Karui and Omoi were doing. Using his sensory powers he could sense that the two of them were strangely calm.

"Those two probably found a way to cheat without getting caught. Impressive considering they don't have special eyes like the Uchiha or the two hyuga in the room."

"The second hyuga... I can feel a lot of rage in that guy. Some of its aimed at Hinata for some reason."

"He's probably a branch member who hates her for being in the main family."

" How is that her fault?"

"It's not, but you know how it is. People with a lot of rage in them look for any excuse to get it out. It's just the way some humans are."

"Well he better not hurt her or he'll have me to deal with."

"That a boy! Fight for your woman."

"All right, pencils down it's time for the tenth question." Ibiki yelled with authority as everyone in the room did as instructed.

"Before we move on I must give out the rules for the tenth question. The first rule is that you may choose to leave and not take the tenth question. Doing so however will make you and your team forfeit their chance to become chunin."

"Why the hell would we do that then?" A random ninja yelled out.

"Because of the second rule. If you miss this question you won't be able to take the chunin exam again for the rest of your life." Everyone in the room was shocked at this with the exception of one.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF LIE IS THAT! ARE THESE PEOPLE REALLY GONNA FALL FOR SUCH BULLSHIT!?"

"Not everyone here is a human lie detector Naruto. Just shut up and let the weaklings give up. Less competition you have to deal with that way."

Almost on cue people started dropping out of the exam like flies. only 24 teams were left by the end. Ibiki smiled and congratulated the remaining teams on passing the first phase of the examinations.

"WHAT?!" Was the collective response of the room. Ibiki started on with some speech about having the courage to jump into the unknown or some other boring topic so Naruto just drowned him out and started talking to Kurama.

"God that was boring as hell. I better get to fight someone next time."

"If you want excitement then get ready. I sense some excitement coming right now."

As if on cue something covered in a large black drape crashed through the window. The drape was suddenly pinned to the wall with Kunai and in the center of what was now obviously a banner stood an incredibly attractive kunoichi with an incredibly provocative outfit consisting of a mini skirt an open trench coat and a fish net shirt. The banner behind her read "Anko Mitarashi".

"All right you maggots My name is Anko Mitarashi and I'm the proctor for the second phase of the chunin exams!"

Ibiki stepped from behind the banner and facepalmed. "Anko, you do realize that the second phase is tomorrow right?"

"... I forgot." Anko started blushing and stood at the front of the class for a few seconds, obviously embarrassed.

Everyone in the room was stunned at the ridiculous woman in front of them. One blond was stunned for a completely different reason than the others though. Naruto's mouth hung open and the blood in his brain migrated south as he stared at the woman's perfect figure.

"HOLY CRAP! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE THINGS!"

"Now that's what a woman looks like. I'll take thick and juicy over skinny and flat any day."

"I can't stop staring! Please don't let anybody notice."

"Naruto is staring at that womans chest. Maybe if I open my jacket he'll do the same to me." Hinata thought as a blush creeped up on her face once again.

"Kurenai's girl and that blond guy are both staring at my chest. God I love teasing silly little teenagers like them."

After all the excitement died down Anko gave everyone the directions to the testing site for the second phase of the exams. They were all dismissed and started to leave. Naruto turned to talk to Hinata only to see her being dragged away by her teammates. Their eyes locked for a brief second and Hinata managed to mouth the words "I'm sorry" before she was dragged out of the room.

Annoyed by the recent turn of events, Naruto treated his team to lunch and used the opportunity to vent some of his frustration.

"Man, those guys have some nerve dragging Hinata away like that!" Naruto angrily exclaimed as he ate his third bowl of ramen.

"What did you expect dumbass?" Karui said angrily. She was tired of listening to Naruto talk about this girl he was so infatuated with.

"Naruto, I'm sorry but maybe you should give up on this girl." Omoi didn't approve of Naruto's new crush either.

"Why can't you guys be more supportive?" Naruto asked a little shocked at his teams tone.

"You're trying to bang a girl from another village. Why do you think we aren't being supportive?" Karui snapped.

"I-I'm not trying to do that. I just want to go out with her a few times is all." Naruto retorted

"Go down on her a few times is more like it."Omoi said with a slight chuckle.

"Sh-Shut the hell up. I'm not old enough to do that sort of thing yet."

"That didn't stop you from stealing sensei's booze, or sneaking into that porn theater, or transforming into a girl so you could bathe in the women's hot spring." Omoi listed off Naruto's sins and with every one Naruto's face grew a darker shade of red.

"Don't forget the time we caught him watching that hentai movie. I'll never understand the appeal of that tentacle shit." Karui added.

"AH! Would you quit busting my balls already? I admit I'm a pervert so just drop it already."

"Fine, go be an idiot by yourself then. Let's go Omoi."

Karui and Omoi got up and left having finished their food already. Naruto was left alone in the stand with Ayame who had been listening the whole time.

"Naruto... did you really do all that stuff they mentioned?"

"Well uh... Yes."

"My favorite customer is a horn dog." Ayame hung her head in shame and so did Naruto.

While Naruto was upset, Hinata was absolutely livid. Kurenai had told Kiba and Shino everything and instructed them to keep Hinata away from Naruto. Any hopes she had of getting closer to him were instantly shattered. She ran away from them as fast as she could and went home. She locked herself in her room and just laid in her bed. She sat there until there was a knock on the door.

"Hinata, daddy wants to see you. He wants to know if you passed the first exam or not." Hinata didn't want to be anywhere near her father right now but she knew if she refused to show up he would just come to her. She willed herself out of bed and opened the door. Her little sister Hanabi was there and she had a worried look on her face.

"Sis, you didn't fail did you?"

"No, I passed. It was an easy test that I completed with the aid of the byakugan."

"Then why do you look so gloomy? We all thought the worst when you came in and ran straight to your room."

"I was just tired. You don't have to worry about me dear." Hinata bent over and kissed Hanabi's forehead. "Thank you for your concern though."

"Bah, you know I hate when you do that sis!" Hanabi said as she blushed and rubbed the spot Hinata had kissed.

"If you really hated it you would stop me. You're the stronger of the two of us after all." Hinata said with a weak smile as she walked to the clan head's office. When she got there she knocked and waited for a response.

"You may enter." A cold voice came from the room.

Hinata did as instructed and opened the door. She didn't look directly at her father when she walked in. She did a small bow as was customary when conversing with the clan head and sat down in a chair in front of her father's desk.

"Hinata, did you pass the first phase of the chunin exams?"

"Yes sir."

"Neji hasn't arrived home yet. Has he passed as well?"

"Yes sir."

"Tell me what the test was like this year. The first phase is always different for every exam but the goal remains the same. To test the mental capabilities of the chunin prospects."

Hinata went on to explain the test and how she passed.

"You did well to see through the deception. You also did well to properly use your byakugan. You are dismissed."

Hinata stood up and bowed before taking her leave. "He didn't even say he was proud of me." Hinata thought as she made the trip back to her room where she locked herself away yet again.

Back at the testing site Ibiki was making his way around the room, picking up all the tests that had been left on the tables. When he made his way to the test of the funny boy with the orange track suit he decided to take a look at the boys answers. What he saw made him laugh.

"Haha... That boy got every single answer wrong. Naruto Uzumaki huh? That boy sure is a funny one."


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9 Rewrite

Hinata awoke early the day of the second exam. She had passed out the night before still wearing her clothes from the day. Finding herself thinking of the way Naruto looked at the proctor for the second exam she got out of her bed and walked up to the mirror to examine herself. Hinata wasn't the type to casually flaunt her looks but the way Naruto was so awe-struck at the woman's figure got her thinking. Was she capable of eliciting the same reaction?

She took off her jacket and took a good long look at herself. The first thing she noticed was her rapidly growing bust. It was much larger than anyone else she knew her age. She turned her body so that she was looking at them from a side view so she could see how far they protruded from her chest. She compared herself to Ino and Sakura and she realized just how significant the difference was. She found herself thinking about Naruto's possible reaction to seeing her like this. Would he stare at her like he did to the woman the day before? Would other guys stare at her like that? Just how attractive was she? Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone clear their throat. She whipped around quickly to see her little sister staring at her with a grin on her face playfully tossing the skeleton key to their home up and down.

"Checking yourself out sis?" Hanabi said mockingly.

"G-get out! I have to get ready for the exams!"Hinata yelled back blushing furiously and covering her chest with her arms, even though she still had a shirt on.

"Teehee, is that what you were doing? It looked like you were staring at your boobies in the mirror."

"GET OUT!" Hinata grabbed her pillow from her bed and tossed it at Hanabi but missed as the girl swayed back and let the object sail right over her head.

"Daddy sent me in here to tell you that he wants you to eat a big breakfast. He says its to make up for you falling asleep and missing dinner."

Hinata grabbed her stomach as a low growl emanated from her core and sent pangs of hunger through her body. She was so caught up in her thoughts the day before she hadn't even realized she wasn't eating.

"Thank you Hanabi. I'll make sure to do that after I bathe."

"Try to keep your hands off yourself in there."

"HANABI!" Hinata couldn't believe what her little sister just implied. Hinata stared at Hanabi, mouth agape and blushing furiously.

"By the way you should find a better hiding spot for those dirty books." Hanabi said as she spun around and started gleefully skipping away.

"I-I READ THEM FOR THE STORY!" Hinata yelled back in vain.

"Whatever you say sis." Hanabi yelled back from down the hall. Hinata slumped to the ground mortified. "I've turned my baby sister into a pervert."

Naruto's morning wasn't going so well either. Naruto and his team had once again been kicked out of the hotel room early so that their sensei can enjoy the company of her new friend. They were sitting at Ichiraku ramen eating breakfast.

"This is some bullshit." Karui finally broke the silence they had been sharing since they arrived.

"Us being stuck eating ramen for breakfast or Yugito sensei kicking us out?" Omoi questioned.

"Sensei kicking us out. I didn't even get a chance to take a bath this morning because of her stupid booty call."

"There's a public bath not far from here. We have enough time to jump in there before the exam." Naruto stated in an effort to appease his fired up teammate.

Karui turned to look at Naruto with a serious look on her face. "If you so much as think about peeking at me I will cut off your winky and wear it on a necklace. I'm not playing."

Naruto's face turned a sickly pale and he could only nod his head to confirm he understood Karui's threat. They finished their food in silence and made their way to the bath house.

Inside the bath house Naruto and Omoi were sitting in the water relaxing. Well, at least Omoi was relaxing. Naruto was staring at the wall separating the men's side from the women's side deep in thought.

"One little peek couldn't hurt... Just one good look at some nip is all I want."

"For the love of god man, I can't believe you're even debating this. DO IT ALREADY!"

"Yes sir." Naruto started stealthily making his way towards the dividing wall. He was almost within arms length when suddenly Omoi grabbed Naruto and pulled him back to the other side.

"Naruto, I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you do what I know you were planning to do."

"Omoi?"

"If you peek on Karui then she will cut off your precious parts and then you won't be able to have children. If you can't have children then when I have children they won't have your children to be friends with.

"Omoi... thank you."

The two friends embraced each other in a hug while in the water. During their hug a large dark-skinned man walked into the bath. The two friends look at the man and then realized what the situation must have looked like to an outsider.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" The two said in unison as they broke the hug.

The dark-skinned man could only shake his head and utter one word.

"DAMN!"

Later at the testing site every team that had passed the first phase of the exam was assembled and ready to take the next test. They were all standing at attention waiting for the proctor to show up. She of course made her entrance with as much flair as she did the first time. There was a sudden explosion and after the dust cleared Anko could be seen in a thumbs up position with a different banner behind her. This one read "The super sexy kunoichi Anko Mitarashi presents the forest of death." written under a chibi drawing of Anko.

"Alright you maggots its time for you to take the second phase of the chunin exams. This time it's a survival test."

She went on to explain the rules of the test and handed each team their consent wavers. The test was simple, find a scroll that was the opposite of the one you are assigned in the begining and take the two scrolls to the tower in the middle of the forest. After everyone passed in their wavers and got their scrolls the test began.

The contestants all waited outside their assigned entrance gate and once that gate opened they ran inside. Hinata's team already had a plan thanks to Shino. It was a simple set up, stand out in the open and wait for someone stupid enough to trigger the leech trap they had set up. It didn't take long for some over aggressive team to fall for it. They were lucky enough to get the heaven scroll to go with their earth scroll so they headed for the tower in the middle of the forest where they were supposed to present their scrolls. Hinata was leading the way with her Byakugan when she noticed something.

"There are two teams of ninja up ahead. They are about to fight."

"What villages are they from?" Asked Shino.

"One is from sand. The other is from rain." Hinata replied.

"I think we should check it out. After they're done killing each other we might be able to jump in and clean house." Kiba said.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea." Hinata said.

"Let's do some recon first. If they are more powerful than us we'll just leave them." Shino said.

"O-Ok." Hinata said defeated. She really didn't want to waste time on this but she was outvoted and she didn't have the confidence to put her foot down.

The three found a hiding spot behind some bushes and watched the scene unfold in front of them. It was a massacre. The three rain genin unleashed a rain of kunai on the sand shinobi but it was all blocked by a veil of sand conjured up by the small red headed boy. That same veil of sand then turned into a tidal wave that snatched up the three rain genin. They were then suspended in the air in three distinct sand prisons.

"Sand burial" The boy said as he crushed the three genin. As the sand dissipated a mass of blood and shattered body parts fell from them. The red haired boys male team mate ran over to inspect what was left of the three.

"H-He butchered them." Kiba could barely contain his fear.

"W-W-W-We need to g-g-g-get away." Hinata was scared beyond her wildest nightmares. This boy was like a monster.

Shino was silent but he was visibly shaking.

"We got lucky. Not only is the scroll still intact but it's the heaven scroll we needed." As the boys two team mates started walking away the red haired boy simply stood in the same spot he was in before. He was eyeing the distance as if he was waiting for something. When the two realized he wasn't moving they turned to him.

"Gaara? We got what we needed. We can go now." The girl of the group said.

"No... The one who is coming here is like me. We wish to speak to them."

"Gaara, what are you talking about?" The male asked.

"Just shut up and wait."

A few seconds later another team showed up. The sight of this one made Hinata even more scared than she was before.

"N-Naruto?" She whispered as she watched her crush stand up to the monster she just saw.

"Yo. I have a message for Shukaku from Kurama."

"Mother says she wants to hear this message." The two boys slowly walked over to each other. Their eyes never leaving the other. A look of anger clearly etched onto Naruto's face.

"Do you know how to do this?" Naruto asked through gritted teeth.

Gaara held out his tiny fist and Naruto tapped it with his own. They just stood like that with their eyes closed for a few minutes. No one hearing the internal struggle between their two demons.

"Kurama, what do you want? Can't you see I was having some quality time with my son here?"

"You call that mindless slaughter quality time? You sicken me Shukaku. You spit on the teachings of our father."

"NO! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SPITS ON THE MEMORY OF OUR FATHER! WHEN OUR FATHER DIED HIS TEACHINGS WERE FORGOTTEN AND THESE PATHETIC MEAT BAGS STARTED USING THE POWERS OF THE NINJA FOR WAR! IT IS FOR OUR FATHER THAT I'VE MADE IT MY MISSION TO KILL ALL WHO ABUSE THE POWER HE BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD!"

"Not everyone abuses these powers Shukaku. This boy that I have the honor of calling my partner is one of those. He personifies the teachings of father more than any human I have ever seen."

"One good human doesn't excuse the rest of the species."

"Maybe not now but if we can reestablish fathers teachings we can redeem the human race."

"Screw the human race. You can preach all you want brother, I'm still going to get revenge on these weak creatures for what they did to father's teachings. I'll let you go this day Kurama only because of the bond we share. Next time you stand in my way however I will kill you and the boy you call partner."

Gaara broke his fist away from Naruto and started to walk away. "We're leaving." Gaara practically commanded to his team as they jumped away, headed for the tower.

Naruto stood in the same place with his head down for a few seconds. Omoi and Karui finally walked up to him and placed their hands on his shoulders.

"Naruto?" They both said to him.

"I'm... gonna have to kill him." Was all Naruto said as he turned and started to walk away with his team following him.

"Why did she have to be watching? Now she's going to be suspicious of me later."

"Don't worry about her. I'll think of an excuse if she brings it up later. You focus on passing this test."

Naruto's team jumped away leaving only Hinata's team hiding nearby. "What the hell just happened?" Kiba asked no one in particular.

"I don't know." Shino responded.

"I-I think w-we should g-go now." Hinata squeaked out.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10 Rewrite

After the meeting with Gaara and Shukaku, Naruto and his team decided to focus on finding the earth scroll to match their heaven scroll. Naruto lead the way as he used his sensory powers to pinpoint where the enemy teams were.

"Alright, here should do." Naruto said aloud as he stopped in a small clearing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Karui asked.

"Relax it's part of my plan. I can sense a team heading this way. We're gonna set up a trap for them."

Not long after Naruto and his squad stopped in the clearing the same squad of sound genin from earlier happened upon them. In the middle of the clearing Naruto and his friends sat around a fire roasting marshmallows without a care in the world.

"Alright, we lucked out. It's the dude who stopped us from shutting up that loudmouth. That punks gonna regret the day he got in our way." The spiky haired member of the sound trio said.

"Don't let your guard down. Those three aren't in the same league as the rest of those weaklings and we still have to deal with the Uchiha after this. Alright, listen up you two I have a plan. Zaku, first I want you to scatter them with your special jutsu. After that focus your attack on the one with the candy in his mouth. Kin you focus your long range attacks at the girl. I'll get in close where the blond one can't use his chakra chains and take him down myself. Understood?" The leader of the team commanded with the kind of authority you wouldn't expect from a simple genin.

"Understood Dosu." The other two responded.

Flashing through hand signs the one named Zaku prepared his specialty jutsu and sent a blast of compressed air out of two holes in his hands toward the group of three ninja below them. Much to the three ninjas surprise the group below either didn't see the attack coming or chose to ignore it because they were blasted full force by the attack. That wasn't as surprising as the three exploding in a poof of smoke.

"What the fu AH!" Zaku was suddenly grabbed around the ankles by a chakra chain and pulled off the tree branch the three were standing on.

The other two sound ninja turned around to find themselves face to face with Naruto and his team. Zaku was tied up by chakra chains at Naruto's side with a mortified look on his face.

"How did you manage to avoid our attack?" The leader of the group asked.

"We didn't. Those were shadow clones. Speaking of shadow clones."

Suddenly the lone female of the sound trio was also pulled away by a chakra chain. This one was made by yet another shadow clone of Naruto. This clone greatly enjoying the task of tying up his captive.

"Reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite hentais." The clone thought as he finished restraining her.

"You are certainly impressive. Don't expect to get me with such a cheap tactic though." As soon as he said that Dosu spun around and grabbed a chakra chain meant for him and pulled the clone creating it to him, dispelling it with a knee to it's gut.

"You're pretty tough. Do you think you're tough enough to handle me and my team by yourself?" Naruto asked.

"I'm no fool." Reaching into his bag he grabbed his teams earth scroll and tossed it at Naruto. "I admit defeat. Take the scroll and release my teammates."

"I'll take the scroll but you and your team aren't going anywhere. If we let you go now a tough guy like you could get two more scrolls easy. Omoi, Karui go do your thing."

"You letting us have some fun for once? That's not like you Naruto." Omoi said, unsheathing his sword.

"Looks like even this idiot can be considerate sometimes." Karui said happily as she also unsheathed her weapon.

Both Omoi and Karui jumped at the sound ninja who easily blocked their sword swipes with his giant gauntlet. The inside of the gauntlet started to reverberate with sound and the sound ninja used this to his advantage. He used a hand sign with his free hand and the sound that was reverberating through his gauntlet was focused and directed straight into the ears of Karui and Omoi who exploded in a poof of smoke.

"Really!?" The ninja yelled before he was tackled from behind by the real Omoi and Karui. They slammed into the ground with great force, Dosu taking the majority of the damage and losing consciousness. Naruto and his clone took the other two incapacitated genin down to their leader. "Well that wasn't so hard." Naruto said with a big grin.

"Aren't you forgetting something Naruto? You still have to seal them." Omoi reminded his scatter brained friend.

"Oh yeah. I should probably start that now." Naruto took out three scrolls and scribbled down a seal on each one. Naruto made a hand sign and yelled "Activate!" causing the seals to glow and the scrolls they were written on to unravel and cover the bodies of the three genin except for their heads. The three looked like they were in full body casts which Naruto found amusing.

"Wh-What the hell is wrong with me. I can't move." Zaku said shocked.

"It's a capture seal. Handcuffs obviously don't work on us ninja so we use seals instead. Shouldn't you guys know this already? It's pretty basic stuff."

"What the hell are you going to do? Kill us?" The one named Kin asked.

"No, I hate killing. Instead I'll just leave you guys here. When the test is over in a couple of days there should be a search party to come get you."

"Wh-What about wild animals and enemy teams?" Zaku asked scared out of his mind.

"Good point... I got it." Naruto took out another seal and placed it on the ground. "That seal is one of my specially made stink bomb seals. if any animals come close it should go off and scare them away. As for other teams I'll just leave a note." Naruto took out a piece of paper and scribbled down his note to the other teams. The note said "Please leave these three alone. They are incapacitated by a seal and have no scroll. Once the test is over then you can set them free." Naruto then placed the note on the tree above the three sound ninja.

"Well, I guess we can go now. That test wasn't so hard." Naruto and his team turned to leave.

"WAIT!" Kin yelled.

"Huh, what is it?" Naruto turned and asked.

"You can leave these two here but take me with you. I'll make it worthwhile."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes, I'll do whatever you want." The girl said in a seductive way and even slowly licked her lips for emphasis.

"I'm flattered but HELL NO! I already have eyes for another girl and to be honest she's a lot cuter than you. She's a hell of a lot nicer too. Go peddle your ass to another guy, this one ain't buying." Naruto and his team jumped away leaving the three sound ninja alone.

"Wow, I knew you sucked at seduction but that was just sad." Zaku said chuckling.

"Shut up! My seduction technique is amazing. He was obviously gay. Just wait, if we get discovered by another team I'll have them eating out of the palm of my hand."

"Wouldn't you rather have them eating out of your"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kin screamed.

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't take that sluts offer. I'm kind of proud of you." Karui said with a light blush. She wasn't used to giving anyone praise especially not Naruto.

"Even if I didn't have eyes for another girl I knew you'd kick my ass if I said yes. Besides I could tell she was lying. She was probably planning to run if I let her go."

"But still, the old Naruto would have at least considered it. Maybe that girl really is a positive influence on you."

"She has a name you know."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"So you'll stop busting my balls about her then?"

"Someone has to bust your balls while sensei isn't around."

"Teehee, speaking of sis she's probably having some real fun with Iruka by now."

"God damn it Naruto."

Surprisingly, Naruto was wrong for once and Yugito and Iruka were dealing with the first hiccup in their relationship.

"Don't tell me you're finished already." Yugito said with a hint of disappointment.

"I couldn't help myself. You're just too good." Iruka responded somewhat ashamed of himself.

"I thought after all this time you'd be able to last longer but you're actually losing it faster each time."

"I'm sorry. I always thought I was really good at this but it seems I have a lot to learn."

"Don't worry. being a terrible card player isn't the end of the world. You're still great in the sack."

Back in the forest of death, Naruto got a cheeky grin and looked at Karui. "She's probably started playing cards with him by now! You thought I was going to say something else didn't you?"

"I take back everything nice I just said."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11 Rewrite

"I have to pee." Naruto said as he stopped suddenly.

"Hold it, we're almost to the tower." Karui said still a little annoyed at Naruto from before.

"But I really got to go. I've been holding it since before we fought those three idiots." Naruto was now holding his nether regions and hopping up and down like an idiot.

"Fine then, just hurry the hell up so we can get this test over with." Karui relented.

"I'll be right back." Naruto tried to run behind a nearby tree but Omoi and Karui grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Are you stupid? Pee in front of us so we can watch your back. You're asking to get ambushed if you go behind that tree where we can't see you." Karui said.

"B-B-But... I can't go if you watch." Naruto said embarrassed. "Besides I can sense there isn't anyone nearby."

"There aren't any people. What about animals?" Omoi interjected.

"God damn it." Naruto said as he thought about it. There were indeed a ton of animals nearby and Naruto wasn't about to risk some random snake or something falling out of a tree and chomping down on his fun parts.

"Fine. Just please don't stare at me." Naruto walked up to a nearby tree and unzipped his fly. He sat there for a few seconds mumbling about waterfalls and powerful flowing streams before he finally unleashed a torrent of bodily waste from his nether regions. He soaked the entire bottom of the tree before he was done. Afterwards he zipped back up and went back on his way to the tower with his team.

While Naruto was on his way to the tower, Hinata and her team had already arrived and made themselves at home. Hinata was sitting in a chair reading a little orange book in one of the rooms of the tower. She was told by a ninja stationed there to greet them that it was a room for socializing between the teams but the only other team at the tower was the sand team who kept to their room mostly so she thought it was safe to indulge in her dirty little secret, at least for a little while. Kiba was off bathing with Akamaru and Shino was off "collecting samples" as he put it, which was his way of saying bug hunting. That left Hinata all alone with her favorite book. She loved this particular volume of Icha Icha Paradise because the main heroine was a lot like her. She was incredibly shy and had trouble confessing her feelings to the one she loved but at the end of the story she finally works up the courage to tell him and they live happily ever after and start their own clan. To be honest she really did read them for the story. The sexy bits were just a bonus to her. A bonus that she loved but a bonus none the less. She was deep into one of the dirtier parts of the book at this very moment. So deep in fact that she didn't notice someone walk right up behind her.

"I've done that before. Guys go crazy for that." Anko said as she read from over Hinata's shoulder.

"AAAHHHH!" Hinata screamed as she jumped out of the seat and turned around to face the crazy woman behind her.

"A good thing to remember when you're in that position is to use your mouth at the same time. A lot of girls I know just let their breasts do the work which is a huge waste. I mean your mouth is right there, why not use it?"

"I-I-I w-was j-just..."

"Haha, you're adorable. I can see why Kurenai cares about you so much."

"Y-You know my s-sensei?" Hinata asked still flustered being caught in the act of indulging her guilty pleasure.

"Yep, me and her have been best friends ever since the academy. She asked me to keep an eye on you. Something about her catching a cloud ninja trying to sweet talk his way into your pants. I wasn't really paying attention at the time on account of I was eating dango."

"Sh-She even asked you..." Hinata said looking forlorn.

"Oh I see. You actually want that cloud ninja in your pants. Kurenai is twat blocking you."

"N-NO! It's not that. I really like him but I'm not ready for that yet."

"Good. A pretty girl like you shouldn't give it up so easy. Especially this young. About this cloud ninja, which one is he. Did he make it past the first exam?"

Hinata was slowly warming up to Anko. She started to smile and talk with her like she would talk to Kurenai.

"Yes. He was the blond one who was sitting next to me."

"You mean the one who couldn't take his eyes off my fat rack?"

Hinata hung her head down in shame. "Yes. The very same."

"Come to think of it he wasn't the only one. You were eyeballing my twins too. Do you like both?"

"B-Both?" The stutter was back. Hinata wasn't comfortable enough to talk about this kind of stuff yet.

"Cocks and cunts. Do you like both or do you only like cocks. Personally I love both cocks and cunts with cocks barely beating out cunts as my favorite."

"..." Hinata's face was the darkest shade of red it had ever been in her entire life.

"Do you masturbate? I realized I was bisexual when I was masturbating one night and thought "I wouldn't mind doing this to another girl" so I went out to a club found a girl and did it. It was pretty fun. Then her boyfriend came home and it got awkward. It was alright though. I ended up spending the night with both of them."

Hinata's body fell to the ground with a thud as the shy girl fainted.

"Damn... I wasn't expecting that. I guess we'll just have to work on that later." Anko slung Hinata over her shoulder and walked off. As soon as she was out of sight Shino walked around the corner with a face similar in hue to the one Hinata just had.

"Kurenai sensei has strange friends." Was all he said before he pulled out a jar full of bugs and started searching the room for any more potential samples. He heard some loudmouth start yelling from outside the tower but ignored whoever it was as he was busy scooping up a beetle that he had found hiding under the chair that Hinata had just been sitting in.

"WE HAVE ARRIVED!" Naruto yelled in excitement as his team walked up to the door of the tower.

"Shut the fuck up!" A voice yelled from within the structure.

"Who said that!?" Naruto yelled back.

A window opened to reveal the sand ninja with the purple paint on his face. "There are people sleeping up here asshole."

"Geez, sorry miss. I'll be quiet so you can get your beauty sleep. You need as much of it as you can get." Naruto shot back at the painted boy.

"Motherfucker." The sand ninja muttered as he closed his window and shut the blinds.

"You're making friends all over the place today aren't you Naruto?" Omoi joked.

"Can we please just pass this god damn test already?" Karui said irritated.

The three walked through the door and were greeted by a man who took their scrolls and escorted them through the tower to their rooms. They all walked in and sat down on their beds and started talking.

"So we have four days to sit here and wait for the rest of the teams. I vote we spend the time relaxing." Karui said hoping to convince the training obsessed Naruto to take it easy for once.

"I agree." Omoi said also hoping for some down time.

"You guys are lightweights. Fine I'll take it easy too." Naruto said a little disappointed.

"Naruto?" Karui asked.

"Whats up?"

"Why are you still here? Don't you have someone you wanted to talk to?"

"She's sleeping right now. I'll go see her when she's awake."

"That power is bullshit."

"You're just jealous."

"God damn it Naruto.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Hinata awoke to a torrent of ice cold water bombarding her face. She screamed as she bolted up and took a look around. The first thing she noticed was Anko laughing her ass off standing over a nearby bath tub holding a bucket. Hinata immediately pieced together what must have happened since she fainted.

"That's not funny miss anko." Hinata said in the angriest voice she could muster.

"You're right, it's fucking HILARIOUS! HAHAHAHA!" Anko kept laughing like a hyena.

"I'm going back to my room now." Hinata said in an annoyed tone as she turned to leave.

"You may want to reconsider that. Unless of course you want everyone in this tower to think you take your baths with clothes on." Anko responded in a smart ass tone.

Hinata looked down at herself and realized that her clothes were soaking wet from the water Anko poured on her. She was so mad at her she hadn't even noticed.

"Follow me I have some clothes for you." Anko said with an innocent smile. Hinata while weary of Anko followed her out of the bathroom and into a bedroom that Hinata could only assume was Anko's for as long as she was proctoring the exam. Anko walked into her closet and pulled out a pair of black shorts and matching shirt that looked to be about Hinata's size.

"Here try these on." Anko said as she tossed the clothes to Hinata. Hinata caught them and walked into the bathroom where she changed.

"Miss Anko, why do you have clothes in my size?" Hinata said as she walked out.

"I wear them when I go out to night clubs. Guys love it when girls wear clothes that are way too tight for them."

"Oh..."

"I got some smaller stuff if you want to try and hook up with blondie while you're here. One of my subordinates told me he arrived a few minutes ago."

"N-Naruto is here!? Oh my god, how do I look?" Hinata ran into the bathroom again and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked herself over and decided that she looked fine. Anko's clothes hugged her figure a little tighter than she liked but it was nothing obscene so she decided to live with it.

"Wow, you really got it bad for this guy. What's so great about him? Does he have a really huge dick or something?"

"Wh-What? I wouldn't know that!" Hinata yelled once again embarrassed by this womans shameless attitude.

"Don't play dumb. You have those fancy x-ray eye things. You could check out any mans package whenever you want."

"I'm leaving." Hinata firmly said with a pout. She walked past Anko out the bathroom and toward the bed room door.

"Fine then. I'm sure you want to find him so you can stare at his foot long cock some more."

Hinata said nothing. She opened the door as calm she could and stepped out. She turned around and looked at Anko for a second before slamming the door shut and almost breaking one of the hinges off.

"Ha, that was easy. I'll get that girl out of her shell in no time."

 **Flashback**

"I just don't know what to do with her. She's a great kunoichi but she has no self confidence. One of these days I'm not going to be there to protect her and she's going to die out there." Kurenai downed another shot as she talked with Anko during their weekly get together at Anko's apartment.

"And to make matters worse there's some punk kid from the cloud village who I caught asking her out on a date. I think he might be trying to get close to her so he can kidnap her." Kurenai started tearing up in her drunken state. Anko, who was only half paying attention while she was eating a stick of dango decided to help out her friend.

"Your girl is taking the chunin exams this year right?"

"Yeah. What does that matter?"

"I'm going to be proctoring the second phase of it. If she makes it that far I'll keep an eye on her so that cloud guy can't sneak his way into her pants. I'll even help her get out of her shell."

"You would do all that? Thank you Anko."

"You don't need to thank me. Just take all your clothes off."

"You're funny bitch."

"It was just a joke. You need to lighten up."

 **Flashback end**

 _"Now to check out that blond idiot and make sure he isn't a threat to her."_ Anko thought as she slipped out of her room and started tailing Hinata. Sooner or later she knew Naruto would show up and she was going to be there to make sure his intentions were pure. Pure by Anko's standards anyway.

 **With Naruto**

"I'll see you guys in a few minutes." Naruto said as he leaped off his bed to his feet.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ." Omoi snored. He passed out not too long ago.

"Where are you going?" Karui asked looking up from her book she was reading.

"Where do you think I'm going?"

"Oh. Don't do anything stupid like get into a fight with her teammates."

"You worry too much. At the first sign of trouble I'll bolt back here. I promise."

 **With Hinata**

Hinata was walking down the hallway to her room deep in thought.

 _"The nerve of that shameless woman. Asking me those dirty questions and accusing me of misusing the byakugan. How could Kurenai sensei be friends with that woman? Oh god, could Kurenai sensei secretly be shameless as well?"_

Hinata was torn from her thoughts when she passed by a room that had the door slightly agape. The door suddenly swung open and she was dragged inside."

 _"The fuck!?"_ Anko thought from her vantage point on the ceiling.

She quickly dropped down and ran into the room. The room was an empty bedroom but what caught Anko's attention was the open window with a note on the wall next to it. She ran over and read aloud what the note said.

"Spying on people isn't very nice." Under the words was a picture of a chibi nine tailed fox giving the finger.

"You can't lose me that easy!" Anko yelled as she hopped out of the window and clung to the side of the wall with her chakra. She noticed that about three floors down was another open window so thinking that was where Hinata disapeared to she climbed down and jumped through. Back in the room Naruto and Hinata crawled out from under the bed and Naruto started laughing uncontrollably.

"HAHAHAHA! Did you see the look on her face? She was so pissed off." Naruto said while still laughing.

"Thank you for getting rid of her Naruto. She's a friend of my sensei who was asked to keep an eye on me. She's a shameless woman who talks about all sorts of dirty things."

"Why did your sensei ask her to keep an eye on you? You were one of the first people to get here so you're obviously really strong."

"My sensei is really overprotective. She feels like she has to always watch over me."

"I know what that's like. It took me forever to convince my big sis that I could take care of myself."

"What did you do to prove yourself to her?"

" I don't know exactly. We were on a mission to a place called the land of waves and after that she started treating me like more of an adult. In fact I wasn't even supposed to take the chunin exams this year. Sis convinced the raikage to let me come after that mission. I'm sure if you do good in the rest of the exam your sensei will start trusting you more."

"Thank you. You always say such nice things to me." Hinata was starting to get red in the face again.

"Don't ever stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"That blush is so cute. Don't ever stop doing it."

Naruto grabbed Hinata and pulled her close to him in a hug.

"N-Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"You're... poking into my leg.?"

The realization dawned on Naruto like a ton of bricks. He had a rock hard erection. He was so happy to be hugging Hinata that he hadn't noticed.

 ** _"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_**

Kurama's laughter made it obvious to Naruto what had happened. Kurama had done this before. He would send a pulse of chakra into Naruto's nether regions giving him an erection at the worst possible time.

 _"YOU'RE A REAL MOTHERFUCKER KURAMA YOU KNOW THAT!"_

 ** _"I COULDN'T RESIST! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"_**

 _"FUCK YOU!"_

 _"_ N-Naruto?"

"Hinata... I'm so sorry." Naruto apoligized as he broke away from Hinata.

"D-Don't be. I'm... flattered."

"REALLY!?"

"Yes. It means you think I'm beautiful right?"

"Of course!"

The two started staring into each others eyes. Slowly Naruto started to inch his face closer and closer to Hinata's. Their lips were only centimeters apart when they heard a loud voice from outside.

"FINALLY OUT OF THAT FUCKING FOREST! CHA!"

Naruto pulled his head away quickly.

 _"FUCKING PINK HAIRED BANSHEE RUINED THE MOOD!"_

 ** _"Haha, karma is one mean bitch._**

 _"Kurama do me a favor. If I ever fall for a girl like her kill me. I'd have to be a moron to like an annoying plain looking girl like that."_

 ** _"You got it. No partner of mine is mating with an undesirable like her."_**

Meanwhile in Hinata's mind.

 _"WHY!?, WHY DID SAKURA HAVE TO RUIN THE MOOD?! AAAAHHHH!"_

"Well, uh... anyway, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to spend some more time together while we're stuck in this tower?" Naruto finally broke the awkward silence between the two.

"I would like that very much. My teammates might get in the way though."

"Don't worry about that. I can sense the presence of every person in this tower. It'll be a piece of cake avoiding them. By the way do you want to get some payback on them for the way they dragged you out of the first test?"

"What do you mean payback?"

"I mean some hardcore revenge style pranks. I'm a master at that sort of thing. I've been pranking anbu since I was eight years old."

"You won't hurt them will you?"

"Of course not. Only an amateur needs to stoop so low."

"Okay then. What did you have in mind?"

And so for the next five days the people staying in the tower were afflicted by terrible pranks. Kiba and Akamaru were blasted by a stink bomb and Shino's jar of bugs was replaced by a jar full of bug shaped gummy candies. Sakura's team had arrived that day as well and to get back at her for ruining their precious moment Naruto and Hinata switched the signs on the bathrooms so Sakura walked in on Sasuke taking a leak. Sasuke and Sai stayed locked up in their rooms for the most part so they avoided the pranksters wrath. The next day Hinata's cousin Neji and his team arrived. Hinata stopped Naruto from pranking him since she didn't want to make her cousin angry. Even if he did hate her and the main branch she still loved Neji like a brother and remembered the times they used to play when they were children. The next day Ino's team showed up. They pranked her by replacing all her low calorie diet snacks with fatty ones like donuts and cakes. Shikimaru just lazed around on the roof staring at clouds all day so he was spared Naruto's wrath. Naruto actually started to bond a little with Choji. They met in the middle of the night when they both woke up to get a midnight snack and became fast friends. On the final day the silver haired boy Kabuto showed up with his team. They showed up only minutes away from the deadline however so there was no time for them to be pranked.

Once the deadline passed everyone was ordered to come down to the auditorium room so the hokage could congratulate everyone and explain the next phase of the exam. There was a problem however since there was a lot more teams than there usually are so it was decided that a preliminary elimination round would be held. The proctor Hayate Gekko announced that anyone who doesn't feel up to the task should quit right now since this is where the one on one exhibition fights start. Three people raised their hands. First was the silver haired boy Kabuto. He made a comment about not feeling up to any more fighting and walked away. Then much to everyone's surprise Sai raised his hand. Ino and Sakura were furious but Sai simply told them "It'd be pointless for me to continue." and walked away. The third one who raised their hand was one of Kabuto's teammates. He wore a mask over his face and glasses like Kabuto and didn't even say a word about why he was quitting. He just up and left. This left eighteen out of the twenty one candidates left to fight.

"Please turn your attention to the monitor behind me." The proctor said before turning his head and looking at the monitor that was randomly sorting through the candidates names. After a few seconds the monitor settled on two names.

"Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee. You are the first match."


	13. Chapter 13

ch. 13

"I was hoping for the chance to fight you but I never dreamed it would be so soon." Lee said as he stared down Neji.

"You've always said that hard work beats natural talent. Today I'm going to show you how untrue that is." Neji said as he activated his byakugan

"Don't bother trying to attack me mentally. You know I'm not one to be intimidated."

"Fine then. No more words. Just action."

"Like men."

Both young men got into their respective fighting stances. Lee made the first move. He charged at Neji and delivered a flurry of punches which Neji deflected with his palms. Neji then countered with a spinning roundhouse kick which Lee blocked by grabbing Neji's ankle and tossing him away. Neji spun in midair and landed gracefully. Lee was on Neji again instantly this time with an axe kick which Neji barely dodged. The impact of Lee's kick created a small crater in the floor.

It was Neji's turn to go on the offensive. He rushed at Lee and jabbed at his torso multiple times with the gentle fist. His offense was brought to a halt when Lee managed to grab one of Neji's hands mid strike. Lee twisted his arm into a submission hold.

"Do you wish to submit?" The proctor asked Neji.

"NO!" Neji yelled as his arm started glowing blue. Lee suddenly lost his grip on Neji's arm and Neji managed to slip away. Once his arm was free Neji attempted a palm strike to Lee's chest who jumped away to avoid it.

"You expelled chakra from your arm in order to break my hold. Only a true genius like yourself could come up with such a tactic." Lee said with a smile.

"I'm impressed you've lasted this long. I was hoping to save this for later but it seems fate won't allow that." Neji shifted his stance.

"Oh my god. He would really use that technique on his friend?" Hinata said recognizing the stance.

"It's because he's his friend that Neji feels he must use that technique." Lee and Neji's sensei Gai spoke up. "Neji will never admit this but he has nothing but respect for Lee. That is why he can go all out against him. To use anything less than one hundred percent of his power would be an insult to Lee."

"Lee, you're in the range of my eight trigrams." Suddenly Neji rushed at Lee and started bombarding Lee with a series of finger jabs to points all over his body.

"EIGHT TRIGRAMS TWO PALMS! FOUR PALMS! EIGHT PALMS! SIXTEEN PALMS, THIRTY TWO PALMS! EIGHT TRIGRAMS SIXTY FOUR PALMS!" Once his assault was complete Lee crumpled to the floor.

"It's over." Neji said as he turned to leave.

"The winner of the match is Neji Hyu"

"No."

Everyone was shocked at the sight. Lee was getting up.

"You should have stayed down Lee. I can't be held responsible if you get injured beyond repair." Neji stated as he turned around.

"You were willing to go all out against me. The least I can do is return the favor." Lee started to unfold the bandages on his arms. Once they were loosened enough Lee got into his stance once again.

"You're chakra network has been sealed. Even that attack won't be enough to defeat me now." Neji stated arrogantly.

"We shall see. First gate open." Suddenly Lee's body was filled with an incredible energy. So much energy in fact that his closed off chakra network was forced back open.

"WHAT!" Neji yelled as he saw this all unfold with his byakugan.

Lee rushed forward with even more speed than before and kicked Neji straight up into the air.

"Dancing leaf shadow." Lee called out as he appeared behind Neji. His arm wrappings suddenly engulfed Neji's body holding him in place. The two started violently spinning as they dropped to the ground. Right before they made contact Lee let Neji go and managed to get to safety before Neji violently smashed into the ground head first.

Lee fell backwards onto his rear exhausted. When the dust cleared Neji was in the middle of a crater trying to force himself to stand up.

"As I expected you released chakra from the top of your head to cushion the fall."

"I told you that move wouldn't be enough to finish me. Now that you've used it you're too tired to fight back."

"And you're too tired to capitalize. It seems whoever manages to strike the next blow will be victorious."

"Yes, I believe you're right."

"Then it's time I go all out. Second gate open." Lee's body is filled with energy as he stands up.

"Third gate open." Lee's skin turns a dark red color.

"Fourth gate open!" Lee's muscles start bulging and pulsating veins appear all over his body.

"FIFTH GATE OPEN!" Lee's body is releasing so much power that a crater starts forming under his feet.

"AAAAHHHH!" Lee charges directly at Neji.

"Even with all that power fate is still on my side. ROTATION!" Neji suddenly starts spinning and releasing a huge wave of chakra in a dome shape around his body. Lee and Neji clash causing a huge explosion to occur. When the dust settles both of them are down but only one is out.

"I did it." Lee proclaimed as he struggled to sit up.

"The winner of the match is Rock Lee!" The proctor announced.

"Woah that guy is awesome. I hope I get to fight him later." Naruto said in awe.

"Brother Neji... He managed to use that technique." Hinata squeaked out practically inaudible.

"Gai Sensei I think I might need to see a doctor. I can't feel my legs. Or my arms. Or my torso. Or my"

"Don't worry Lee. That's a side effect of opening that many gates. You should be back to normal in about a week or so." Gai explained as he jumped down to help Lee get up. "Just in case I'll take the two of you to the medics right away."

After the two of them were cleared out and the hokage used an earth style jutsu to fix all the craters in the ground the next match was started.

"The second match is Karui vs. Shino Aburame."

"All right! Go out there and kick some ass Karui!" Naruto yelled hoping to fire up his team mate.

"Don't take this guy lightly Karui. The aburame are a tough clan." Yugito cautioned as Karui turned to leave.

"I've done my homework. Don't worry about me." She retorted as she made her way down to the fighting area where she met with Shino.

"Ready? Begin!" The proctor announced.

Shino backed away instantly covering his tracks with a kunai wrapped in an exploding tag. Karui managed to avoid the explosion but it succeeded in its purpose. Shino was now at long range which is exactly where he wanted to be. He unleashed the bugs from his sleave and sent them directly toward Karui.

"You think you can beat me with those weak ass keep away tactics?" Karui said as she flashed through a bunch of handsigns.

"Fire style curtain of flames jutsu!" She slammed her hands on the ground and a huge wall of fire erupted in front of her incinerating the bugs Shino had sent toward her. While the wall of flame was still up she prepared another jutsu.

"Fire style flame tongue jutsu!" She spat a stream of fire onto the blade of her sword and then dispelled the wall of fire. She rushed toward Shino who sent another wave of bugs toward her. This time Karui rushed through the onslaught of bugs using her flaming sword to burn them all. She made it all the way to Shino and attacked with a jumping sword attack. as he was cut Shino's body split apart revealing itself as a bug clone he had set up after Karui had summoned her curtain of flame. The real Shino came up behind Karui and locked her in a full nelson.

"It's over. As soon as I touched you my bugs started attaching themselves to your body. If I give the signal they'll suck your chakra dry."

"Suck on this bug boy!" Karui dropped her sword and the flames created a ring of fire around the two. The heat was starting to get to Shino and he was sweating profusely. Karui on the other hand was perfectly fine.

"You and your bugs aren't use to this kind of heat are you? I've trained my body to resist extreme heat so I could sit here all day. Who's got the upper hand now jackass?"

Shino let go of his hold on Karui and took a knee. "I submit. If I continue the fight I'll only sacrifice more of my bugs."

"The winner of the match is Karui." The proctor announced.

"It was a good match." Shino said to Karui as he walked back up to his teammates.

"Right back at you bugsy." Karui retorted happily as she walked back up to her teammates.

"Now for the third match." The proctor announced as the monitor started randomly going through the remaining contestants names again.

"The next match will be TenTen vs. Hinata Hyuga."

"It's my turn already." Hinata quietly said. Kurenai put her hand on Hinata's shoulder and gave her a reassuring nod.

"You'll do fine Hinata." Kurenai bent down and whispered into Hinata's ear. "Just pretend your opponent is Anko and she keeps asking you sexual questions."

Hinata's face lit up with anger and she almost started yelling at her sensei. She managed to control herself however and walked down to the fight area. TenTen was already on her way down when she was met by Gai and her two team mates returning.

"Should you two really be up and about after that?" TenTen asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"The doctors said we are both fine enough to watch the rest of the preliminaries." Neji responded.

"Well you two came just in time for my match. I'm fighting your cousin."

"..."

"You aren't even going to say anything? Forget it then." TenTen walked off with Hinata right behind her. Hinata glanced at Neji who glanced back at her but the two said nothing to each other. The two combatants got into their respective fighting stances and stared each other down in the middle of the arena. Right before the match was started Hinata took one last look at Naruto. Naruto was looking at her with a huge smile on his face. He winked at her and that one simple gesture filled Hinata with so much confidence that she knew this match was hers to win.

"Ready? Begin!"

Hinata took the offensive immediately dashing straight at TenTen. TenTen was used to fighting the gentle fist style because of her sparring with Neji so she expected this. She jumped into the air and pulled out a weapon scroll. She sent a barrage of kunai toward Hinata. Hinata pulled out a kunai and thanks to her Byakugan was able to block all of the kunai sent her way with ease. When TenTen landed Hinata was on her immediately with gentle fist strikes to her arms and torso. TenTen managed to get a good gut punch on Hinata and while she was momentarily stunned TenTen backed away and pulled out two more scrolls from her pockets.

"You're tougher than you look but no one besides Neji has been able to block this attack." TenTen jumped into the air and her two scrolls started to surround her in a double helix. TenTen started pulling weapon after weapon out of the scrolls and tossing them with deadly accuracy toward Hinata.

 _"I can't block all of that!"_ Hinata frantically thought. Hinata quickly tried to sort through her options in the seconds she had left. She couldn't block all of those weapons. There were just way too many. She couldn't dodge because the weapons covered way too much area.

 _"This is impossible how could anyone block all of this?"_

 _"No one besides Neji has been able to block this attack"_ Those words rang through her head and Hinata knew what she had to do. The rotation was the only technique capable of saving her. The only problem was her father hadn't taught her that technique yet. It's a very chakra reliant technique and her father wanted to wait until her chakra pool was larger before attempting to teach her.

 _"But Neji learned it on his own withought anyone teaching him. I must at least try."_ She thought before getting into position.

She knew the basics of the technique. Simply spin at high speed and release a wave of chakra to create a dome around you. The problem was simply knowing at what speed to spin and how much chakra to use. She decided to just go as fast as she possibly could and release as much chakra as she possibly could.

As the barrage of deadly weaponry was about to strike Hinata steeled her resolve and commited herself to her technique. "ROTATION!" She yelled as she began the technique. She began spinning and releasing her chakra and managed to knock back almost all of the weapons before running out of power. It was enough however as she pulled out another kunai and managed to deflect the remaining weapons except for the very last kunai which imbedded itself into her side.

"AAAAHHH"

TenTen landed and had a look of respect on her face. It quickly subsided when she realized this was her chance to finish the fight and she rushed at Hinata. Hinata pulled the kunai out of her side and forced herself to stand up. TenTen threw a punch straight at Hinata's head but she ducked it and grabbed TenTen around the waist. Using her natural flexibility she bent backwards and threw TenTen up and over her head. She landed with a thud on her back with the pain forcing her eyes closed. When she opened them she saw Hinata hunched over her holding a kunai up to her throat.

"I've seen enough. The winner of the match is Hinata Hyuga." The proctor announced.

"I actually won?" Hinata asked stunned. She looked up to see Kurenai smiling down at her and was filled with pride. She then snuck a glance at Naruto who was... blushing?

 ** _"Did you see how far she bent backwards there Naruto? I bet she could contort into some real kinky positions with flexibility like that."_**

 _"I swear to god kurama."_

 ** _"Don't pretend like you weren't thinking that too motherfucker."_**

After the weapons were all cleaned up and the monitor sorted through the remaining names it was time for the next match.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha is the next match."


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

"Hold still while I patch you up." The medic said to Hinata as he healed her wounded side.

"Thank you." Hinata said to the medic.

"No need to thank me. It's my job. By the way you were pretty lucky. That knife didn't go too far in and it didn't hit anything vital. You'll be just fine." The medic explained.

"Hinata you did great!" Kiba exclaimed happily.

"Indeed." Shino said in his usual stoic manner.

"Hinata, I'm so proud of you. I'm sure your father would be too if he saw what you did." Kurenai said hoping to instill some more confidence into her favorite student.

"... I don't care what father thinks."

"Hinata?"

"Okay, that should do it. If the wound gives her any more trouble send her to the medics room right away." The medic packed up his tools and left.

"Hinata, why did you say that about your father?"

 _"I'm not going anywhere near this one!"_ Kiba thought as he grabbed Shino by the elbow and dragged him away leaving the two females by themselves.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs. Sasuke Uchiha is the next match." The proctor announced.

Hinata instantly perked up. She looked across the room toward Naruto and their eyes locked for a brief second. Returning the favor from earlier she winked at him.

"YYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH! BANZAI!" Naruto screamed as he dove off the railing toward the fighting area. He slammed straight into the ground with a thud and created a small crater with his body."

"OH MY GOD!" Almost everyone screamed thinking Naruto had just killed himself in his over enthusiasm to get to his fight.

After laying face down on the ground for a few seconds Naruto picked himself up and said with a huge grin "Oops. Looks like I really hit ROCK BOTTOM! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"BOOOOOOOO!" The room erupted with jeers for Naruto's stupid prank and terrible joke.

Hinata was stunned but after a few seconds she finally allowed herself a slight chuckle at the boys antics.

Meanwhile Sasuke was staring down at Naruto with intensity.

 _"He not only survived that fall but he did more damage to the solid stone floor than he did to his own body. This guy may be a clown but he's a strong one."_

Sasuke also jumped off the railing but he landed gracefully on his feet.

"Ready? Begin!" The proctor announced.

Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan and stared down Naruto.

 _"Okay, just like Kakashi showed me."_ Sasuke thought as he attempted to hypnotize Naruto with the sharingan. He stared directly into Naruto's eyes for a few seconds.

"I know my eyes are pretty but do you really have to stare at them like that?" Naruto said getting a little freaked out.

"What? Why isn't my genjutsu working?" Sasuke blurted out.

"Huh? Is that what you're doing? That stuff doesn't work on me. I'm immune to it."

"The hell? Do you have some sort of bloodline trait or something?"

"Sure lets go with that." Naruto put his hands together in the infamous cross handsign and prepared to do his signature jutsu.

 _"That handsign!"_ Sasuke thought as he recognized that jutsu.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto yelled as five solid clones of him came into existence.

"You didn't copy it. I guess that means you know about this jutsu then." Naruto said with a hint of dissapointment.

"Shadow clone jutsu. By splitting the amount of chakra in your body evenly you create solid clones capable of recon and combat. Considered a forbidden technique because of the strain it puts on the users body. Most Jonin can't create more than a few without collapsing of chakra exhaustion. You didn't think I would be dumb enough to copy such a technique and tire myself out did you?" Sasuke said in an arrogant know it all tone.

"Honestly no. You can't blame a guy for trying though can you? It would have been an easy win if you fell for it." Naruto said with a smirk creeping its way onto his face.

"Yeah, it would have." Sasuke said returning the smile. A begrudging respect forming between the two.

"Alright boys go do your thing." Naruto ordered to his clones.

The five clones charged at Sasuke who kept his calm. He grabbed one of the clones by the arm and slammed him into the ground dispelling him. A second clone came from behind and grabbed Sasuke in a sleeper hold. Sasuke stomped on the clones foot dispelling it just in time to dodge the punch from the third clone. Sasuke grabbed his arm and spun him around making him collide with the fourth clone. The fifth clone rushed at Sasuke only to be kicked in the head and dispelled easily.

"GAH! TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE! SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" This time Naruto created ten clones who all charged at Sasuke.

"Fire style grand fireball jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as he ran through his own handsigns and incinerated the ten clones instantly.

Naruto was getting angry that his favorite jutsu wasn't working on this guy. As he put his hands into the cross handsign once again he heard the sound of a fist hitting metal and looked up at his team behind him.

"YOU HAVE OTHER MOVES DUMBASS!" Karui yelled down at him. Her fist being what made the sound as it slammed down on the metal railing.

"BUT I LIKE THE SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto yelled back. As he turned back to the fight he saw Sasuke directly in front of him. With a mighty kick Naruto was sent flying straight into the air.

"That's my technique." Lee said shocked.

"It looks like Sasuke was watching the earlier fights with a bit more interest than I thought he was." Kakashi said with an obvious smile underneath his mask.

 _"I hate to see sensei's son fail but I have my own students to worry about now."_ He thought slightly sad.

"Dancing leaf shadow." Sasuke said with complete confidence.

"Not gonna work buddy!" Naruto said as he began to take a deep breath.

"What the?" Sasuke watched as Naruto inhaled more air than should have been humanly possible. Once he inhaled so much that his stomach was bulging he exhaled and created a mighty gust of wind that forced his body back down. He slammed right into Sasuke and the two collided with the ground. Since he was on the bottom Sasuke took a lot more damage than Naruto did. Naruto jumped up and dusted himself off.

"God that move really irritates my throat." Naruto said before having a minor fit of coughs.

Sasuke forced himself to stand up. "How the hell did you do that?" He asked Naruto.

"Wind style." Naruto responded once his minor coughing fit was over.

"Wind style?" _"That gives me an idea."_ "Let's see how that wind style of yours stacks up to my fire style."

Sasuke flashed through his hand signs again and prepared his grand fireball technique. Naruto did the same for one of his wind techniques.

"Fire style grand fireball jutsu!"

"Wind style grand gust jutsu!"

The two boys attacks collided and Sasuke's immediately overtook Naruto's.

"OH SHIT!" Naruto yelled as he watched the now double in size fireball speed toward him. Naruto slammed his hands on the ground right before the fireball overtook him.

"And thats that. He may have been strong but his wind style was the worst possible match up for an Uchiha's fire style." Sasuke said as he walked away.

"Where are you going? Giving up already?" A voice came from the fire that was still blazing.

Sasuke turned around shocked. The fire died down and in the middle was a dome made of woven together chakra chains. The dome disapeared to reveal an unscathed Naruto.

"I'll admit that you tricked me real good there but thankfully I was able to make that shield just in time."

Sasuke rushed at Naruto intent to the end match. Naruto was ready however and the two boys clashed. Sasuke's style of fighting was a lot more refined than Naruto's but Naruto's body was significantly stronger than Sasuke's. Even though Sasuke was scoring a lot more direct hits on Naruto they weren't doing any real damage and likewise even though Naruto wasn't getting many clean hits on Sasuke each one was taking a visible toll on the boy. After they went back and forth for awhile Sasuke backed away.

"It's like fighting a brick wall!" He yelled in frustration.

"It was fun but its time I use my ultimate technique and end this! TRANSFORM!" Naruto had used his patented sexy jutsu and transformed into his busty female form this time wearing nothing but an orange bikini that was about a size too small for the female Naruto's sizeable assets.

"Sexy jutsu. You like what you see Sasuke baby?" The female Naruto asked in a sultry voice.

Sasuke couldn't respond. His mouth was wide open and his face was flushed. He suddenly took a weird stance and put his hands over his groin area as if he was hiding something.

"Is that a kunai in your pants or are you just happy to see me?" The female Naruto kept toying with Sasuke.

Meanwhile in the stands Sakura was FURIOUS.

 _"I CAN'T GET A REACTION OUT OF SASUKE NO MATTER WHAT I WEAR BUT THIS GENDER BENDING WEIRDO GETS HIM HOT JUST BY WEARING A BIKINI AND TALKING LIKE A COMMON WHORE!"_ Everyone near Sakura started backing away from her at this point. She was so angry she was practically exuding an aura of pure rage.

Back with the fight Naruto got on his knees and started slowly crawling toward Sasuke.

"Sasuke baby, my boobs hurt. Would you mind massaging them for me? I'll massage you in return."

Sasuke was beyond Hinata level of red faced. His arms and legs were actually getting numb from the lack of blood flow.

Sakura had enough of this. She brought her fists down on the metal railing with so much force she actually broke it.

"SASUKE! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR FUCKING MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER AND KICK THIS FREAKY SLUTS ASS I WILL GO DOWN THERE AND RIP YOUR TINY LITTLE DICK OFF! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! YOU STUPID HORNY LITTLE FUCK!"

Everyone watching was taken aback by Sakura's brash and violent outburst. None more than Sasuke who snapped out of his horny trance and looked up at Sakura.

"Y-Yes ma'am." He managed to say out loud. He kept his eyes locked on Sakura for a few seconds after he acknowledged her.

 _"Sakura's never yelled at me before. I kind of like it."_ Sasuke thought to himself as his blush subsided.

Too bad for Sasuke that the few seconds he wasted looking up at the livid pink haired banshee was enough for Naruto to undo his sexy jutsu and rush in for the finishing blow.

"Yo Sasuke, hold this for me!" Naruto yelled as he slapped a seal onto Sasuke's chest. The seal immediately activated causing two chakra chains to fly out and imbed themselves into the ground. Naruto then jumped onto Sasuke's back and imbedded another two chakra chains into the ceiling from his hands. Naruto got a firm grip on Sasuke with his legs and used the chakra chains in the ceiling like a grappling hook to zip up to the ceiling. Once all the way up Naruto let go of Sasuke sending him crashing down to the ground, the two chakra chains keeping him from escaping. He crashed into the ground with force but it wasn't over yet. Naruto let go of his chakra chains and dropped down on Sasuke with a devastating drop kick.

Sasuke was out cold.

"The winner of the match is Naruto Uzumaki!" The proctor announced.

None of the leaf genin could believe it. The last Uchiha had been defeated decisively by a complete unknown.

Kakashi jumped down and picked up Sasuke.

"You did well to beat my student. Be warned that he won't take the loss very lightly."

"Tell him to keep training and fight me again sometime. I'll always accept a challenge from someone tough like him." Naruto turned and walked back up to his team. Kakashi decided to take Sasuke to the medics to make sure nothing was broken after Naruto's finisher.

After the Hokage once again fixed the craters in the floor it was time for the next match.

"The next match is Kankuro vs. Sakura Haruno."

"CHA!" Sakura screamed as she leapt from the balcony and slammed her fist into the ground leaving yet another huge crater in the floor.

 _"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ The hokage mentally screamed as he knew he was going to have to once again fix that crater.

"Wow. That girl may look like a toothpick but she's got some power behind those punches." Kankuro nonchalantly observed as he calmly walked down to the fight area.

"Ready? Begin!"


	15. Chapter 15

ch. 15

"CHA!" Sakura yelled ready to fight. She brandished a kunai and charged at Kankuro. Kankuro didn't even put up a fight as Sakura stabbed his chest with the kunai. Surprisingly there was no blood flowing from the wound and Kankuro shrugged it off like it was nothing. He wrapped his arms around Sakura in a bear hug and started to crush her.

"CHA!" Sakura yelled again as she started bombarding Kankuro's face with punches as he slowly squeezed the life out of her. Eventually she landed a punch so hard that it caused his face to start to crack and fall off revealing that what Sakura was fighting wasn't actually Kankuro but a puppet disguised as him.

"You aren't real! That means I don't have to hold back!" Sakura grabbed the fake Kankuro by the shoulders and started squeezing. It didn't take long for the joints in the puppets shoulders to break under Sakura's death grip. His arms fell to the side useless and Sakura decided to give the puppet a bear hug of her own as payback. She squeezed with all her might and snapped the puppet in half in a matter of seconds and threw it to the side.

"Now that I broke your stupid little dolly you can come out now." She said looking around for the real Kankuro.

Kankuro revealed himself as hiding in the bandaged up heap on the back of his puppet. He looked incredibly irritated at Sakura's dolly comment.

"They aren't dolls they're ninja puppets. Do you have any idea how much time and money it takes to build one of those? It'll probably cost me a months worth of d rank missions to buy the parts I need to fix the one you just broke. That's not even taking into consideration the time it'll take me to actually do the repairs."

"Oh cry me a river toy man. Maybe if you didn't spend so much time playing with your dolls you wouldn't be about to get your ass kicked."

"We'll see who gets their ass kicked pinky." Kankuro reached into his pocket for a weapon but Sakura was on him too fast for him to get it out. She ran over and delivered an earth shattering punch to the face of Kankuro and he was sent flying across the battlefield.

 _"FUCK! This crazy bitch hits harder than Temari does when she's on her period. I guess I'm going to have to fight dirty."_ Kankuro thought to himself as he stood up. He once again reached for a weapon in his pocket and Sakura once again rushed in for a punch. Kankuro had it scouted this time though and was able to dodge it. He pulled out a small purple ball and threw it on the ground causing a huge smoke cloud to appear. Both young ninja jumped out of the smoke cloud. Kankuro pulled out a small vial and drank the contents. Sakura on the other hand was breathing heavy and looked like she was about to drop dead on the spot.

"The hell... did you... just do?" Sakura asked as she continued to have breathing problems.

"A special kind of poison of my own invention. You're gonna die in less than five minutes. Unless of course you forfeit right now. If you do I'll give you the antidote."

"You... dirty little... I...I... quit." Sakura collapsed on the ground.

Kankuro walked up to her body and placed a vial of antidote right next to her.

"You're lucky I'm a nice guy. There's no rule that says I can't just leave it up to the medics to synthesize their own antidote. Maybe you'll respect the next puppet master you face."

"The winner of the match is Kankuro." The proctor announced.

The medics were quickly called in and they took Sakura away after administering the antidote.

The hokage once again had to use an earth jutsu to fix the crater Sakura created.

 _"Please god no more craters."_ He thought as he finished up.

"The next match is Kiba Inuzuka vs. Ino Yamanaka."

"YAHOO!" Kiba and Akamaru jumped down while Ino casually walked to the fight area. When both combatants were ready the fight was started.

"I'll tell you what, since we've known each other since the academy I'll go easy on you." Kiba said arrogantly.

"Go easy on your boyfriend when you're jacking him off dog boy. Punks like you shouldn't be so full of themselves." Ino retorted visibly angry at Kiba's tone.

"Wh-Why you! You'll pay for that!" Kiba took out a smoke bomb and threw it at Ino's feet where it exploded.

"Alright Akamaru! Let's teach her a lesson she won't soon forg" Kiba suddenly stopped talking. His body was still for a few seconds before he started moving again.

"MY NAME'S KIBA INUZUKA! I'M THE WORLDS BIGGEST FURRY! I LIKE TO DRESS UP LIKE A DOG AND GET ASS FUCKED BY MY BOYFRIEND! RAINBOWS MAKE ME CRY! I HOLD THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE WORLDS TINIEST DICK!" Kiba started running around in circles and jumping around like an idiot while Akamaru watched confused. Everyone who knew about the Yamanaka's bloodline trait knew exactly what was going on. The ones who didn't were very very confused.

"The hell is going on here? Why did this weirdo just decide to reveal all his dirty secrets to the world." Karui asked.

"I think the girl just took over his mind. Yamanaka's can do that." Yugito casually remarked.

The smoke started to clear and Ino's body was seen slumped over as if she was asleep.

"I LIKE TO WEAR MY MOMS MAKE UP AND DRESS IN HER CLOTHES WHEN SHE ISN'T HOME! I DRINK OUT OF THE TOILET BOWL! MY FAVORITE T.V SHOW IS MY LITTLE PONY!"

 _"I like my little pony."_ Hinata thought.

 _"What's wrong with a guy liking my little pony?"_ Naruto thought.

"HEY PROCTOR! SINCE INO IS SUCH AN AWESOME KUNOICHI WHO'S BETTER THAN ME IN EVERY SINGLE WAY YOU SHOULD LET HER WIN! I FORFEIT!"

"The winner of the match is Ino Yamanaka. Now would you please go back to your own body. This stopped being funny a while ago."

Kiba collapsed to the ground holding his head while Ino stood up with a huge grin on her face.

"Hey dog boy, the next time you try to blind someone with a smoke bomb you may want to make sure they aren't an adept chakra sensor like me." Ino happily walked back up to her team while Kiba looked to the proctor.

"What did she make me do?" Kiba asked hoping he wasn't made out to be a total fool while under Ino's control.

"Among other things she made you admit to being both a homosexual and a furry."

Kiba walked back up to his team. The shame was evident on his face and he knew Kurenai was going to put him through hell after this was all over.

"The next match is Omoi vs. Shikamaru Nara."

"Uh, I was hoping I would be last. What a drag."

"Good luck Shikamaru! kick his ass!" Ino yelled in Shikamaru's ear.

"I really don't feel up to this I may just fore"

Shikamaru's sensei grabbed him and tossed him over the railing before he could finish his sentence. Shikamaru of course landed on his feet. He looked up at Asuma clearly irritated. Asuma just smiled at him.

"That was kind of harsh wasn't it Asuma?" Kurenai asked.

"I was just motivating him. No big deal." Asuma cheekily retorted.

Omoi was already down in the fight area and was watching the scene unfold with interest.

 _"I guess the rumours about Nara's are true. They are all lazy bums."_

"Ready? Begin."

Unlike the other matches where the action started right away the two boys just stared at each other at first.

"Hey, are you gonna make a move or what?" Shikamaru lazily asked.

"I was going to let you go first." Omoi responded.

"I don't feel like it. you go first."

"I don't feel like it either. You go first."

"HURRY THE FUCK UP!" Ino and Karui both yelled down at their lazy comrades.

The two boys cowered in fear of their angry female team mates for a second before nodding up to them. Omoi rushed at Shikamaru who prepared a jutsu. Shikamaru's shadow suddenly elongated and slithered across the ground straight at Omoi. Omoi was able to dodge it luckily and he kept backing up until he was out of range.

"Okay, looks like my sword is useless in this fight. I'm going to have to fight this from long range." Omoi started preparing a jutsu.

 _"Just as I expected. He's resorting to his elemental jutsu."_

"Lightning style: Thunderbolt jutsu!" Omoi's sword was covered in electricity. With a swing of the sword all of the electricity was discharged toward Shikamaru. Shikamaru was just barely able to dodge it but the lightning still smashed up the floor.

 _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ Today was not the hokage's day. He was dead tired from fixing all these craters with his earth jutsu.

"This is too troublesome. I'm ending it." Shikamaru rushed at Omoi with a kunai in hand. Omoi once again used his thunderbolt jutsu but this time Shikamaru had a plan to counter it. Shikamaru threw his kunai at the ground in front of him and the kunai was able to somehow redirect the lightning toward it instead like a lightningrod. Shikamaru was now in range to use his shadow imitation technique which he successfully did.

"Shadow imitation success. It's over now."

"Okay, you got my shadow but how do you plan to end it without a team? All you can do right now is make me copy you."

"You have a weapon in your hands. I don't." Shikamaru forced Omoi to mimic him in a way that looked like he was going to stab himself in the chest. Since Shikamaru had no weapon in his hand he was totally safe. Omoi had his sword out however. He was in danger of stabbing himself in the stomach if Shikamaru wanted him too.

"I get it. Looks like you win."

"The winner of the match is Shikamaru Nara."

Shikamaru released his technique and picked up his discarded kunai.

"Let me guess, that kunai is made of chakra metal isn't it? That's why it absorbed my lightning strike."

"That's correct." Shikamaru said as he walked away.

"Man, I really had no chance in that one." Omoi nonchalantly walked away as well.

After the hokage had to fix the floor for what felt to him like the thousandth time in a day the next match was started.

"Gaara vs. Yoroi Akado is the next match."

 _"Who the heck is Yoroi?"_ Naruto thought.

 ** _"He is the only member of the silver haired boys team who stayed to fight. He's been standing quietly by himself this whole time."_**

The two met in the fight area and the match was begun. Just as soon as it started it ended. Gaara encased Yoroi in a dome of sand and crushed him within seconds.

"Fodder. I want to kill someone who'll put up a fight." Gaara said as he walked away. The sand that crushed his opponent flowing back into his gourd revealing the mangled corpse of Yoroi.


	16. Chapter 16

ch. 16

As Gaara's sand crept away from his victims mangled corpse the genin all averted their eyes. Just one glance was all that was necessary. Bones sticking out of the skin, blood pooling under the body, and assorted organs spilling out of the gaping hole in the torso. Just one glance was enough for that image to be burned into each and every genin's mind. The hokage ordered for the body to be removed as fast as possible. They cleaned it up so fast that Gaara was still walking up the stairs when they were done.

"Hayate, please start the final match so we can be done." The hokage said. The regret evident in his voice. No one should have to see a sight like that. Especially not children.

"Yes sir. The final two remaining combatants are Temari and Choji Akamichi."

As Temari walked down she passed by Gaara.

"Temari." Gaara said as he passed by her. His cold voice caused Temari to stop dead in her tracks out of fear.

"Y-Yes?"

"Hurry up."

Gaara walked away and Temari jumped over the railing.

Choji was looking hesitant as he walked so Asuma decided to give him some motivation.

"Hey Choji, if you win I'll take you out for some barbeque!" Choji's eyes lit up and he ran so fast he was practically a blur. Within a second he was face to face to Temari with fire in his eyes.

"Ready? begin!"

The match was started and both genin came out in full force right from the get go.

"EXPANSION JUTSU!" Choji's body turned into a giant ball and he started barreling down on Temari.

"WIND STYLE: WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Temari unfolded her fan and sent a deadly wind attack toward Choji. Choji collided with the attack and a huge cloud of dust kicked up. When the dust settled Choji was knocked out on the floor.

"The winner of the match is Temari. Now can every genin who won please come down here. We're going to set up the matches for the final phase of the exam."

Every winner came down and took a ball from a box. The balls all had numbers on them and the numbers were used to determine a bracket.

"The first match is Naruto Uzumaki vs. Rock Lee." Naruto and Lee looked at each other and smiled. They flashed each other a thumbs up knowing they were going to have an amazing match.

"The second match is Karui vs. Gaara." Karui tensed up at this news. Even if by some miracle she beat this monster she either had to fight her team mate or someone strong enough to beat her team mate. She was screwed no matter what.

"The third match is Temari vs. Hinata Hyuga." The two girls looked at each other. Temari was confident she could win but Hinata on the other hand wasn't so sure.

"The fourth match is Ino Yamanaka vs. Kankuro." Ino stared down Kankuro with a fire in her eyes.

 _"This guys gonna pay for what he did to Sakura."_

 _"Why do I have to fight all these crazy leaf dames?"_ Kankuro solemnly thought.

Since we have an uneven amount of genin left Shikamaru Nara will receive a by and fight the winner of Ino Yamanaka vs. Kankuro.

"Something actually went in my favor for once. That's nice." Shikamaru lazily commented.

"You all have one month to train for the final examination. You are dismissed."

Everyone started leaving with their teams. Kurenai pulled Hinata to the side to talk to her real quick.

"Hinata, you go on home and I'll come see you later tonight. These other two aren't getting off scott free after those terrible performances. Especially Kiba." Kurenai walked up to her other two students and grabbed Kiba by his ear. She dragged him away while Shino and Akamaru followed close behind.

Hinata took her Sensei's advice and began the walk home. There was a tunnel under the tower that lead outside of the forest so none of the Genin had to worry about dealing with that hell hole again. At the entrance to the tunnel Neji was waiting.

"You used too much." Neji said as Hinata walked by him.

"Brother Neji?"

"Chakra. You used way too much chakra. If you had used less you would have been able to sustain the rotation for longer and avoided injury. That is something we must work on in the coming month."

"Neji... thank you."

"Do not thank me. In fact I suspect you will be cursing me soon enough. Meet me at my teams training grounds tomorrow morning. Then our training shall begin. Until then you should get plenty of rest." Neji walked off.

Meanwhile Naruto's team was already on the trek through the tunnel and Yugito was trying to figure out what to do about training.

"I think you should focus on Karui sis. My opponent is tough but he's no killer like Gaara is. She needs more help than me." Naruto told his sister hoping she would agree with him.

"But then what are you gonna do for training?" Yugito did agree with Naruto but she didn't want to leave him to train on his own for a whole month.

"I'll be fine. I can handle my own training for a month."

"Okay. I'm trusting you to do this Naruto. I don't want to hear about you causing any trouble instead of training."

"You worry too much. It'll be fine."

 ** _"Naruto?"_**

 _"Yeah Kurama?"_

 ** _"I'm all for training but how about we stop by the hot springs later. We deserve a little rest and relaxation after that ordeal."_**

 _"You read my mind Kurama. Let's do it after we get some ramen. I'm starving."_

Once they reached the end of the tunnel Naruto claimed he was hungry and ran toward Ichiraku Ramen leaving his team in the dust.

"There he goes. Well, I guess you guys do deserve a rest. Let's go eat some real food. No ice cream or ramen this time. Karui I'll let you pick."

Naruto arrived at Ichiraku Ramen and was surprised to find someone else there besides him.

"Hey aren't you one of the guys who just left the chunin exams?"

The silver-haired boy who left before the preliminaries was sitting at the counter eating a bowl of ramen.

"Oh, you must be the cloud boy I've heard so much about. Naruto right? I'm Kabuto. Nice to meet you." Kabuto extended his hand toward Naruto for a shake but Naruto was hesitant.

"You haven't heard about what happened to your teammate yet have you?"

"Did the idiot go and get himself killed?"

"Yes... I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. I told him to drop out if there were preliminaries. The arrogant fool just had to stay in the game."

 _"The fool insisted that he stay in the running so he could be close to Sasuke but I knew it wouldn't work. That batch of genin were exceptional. The idiot got what he deserved."_ Kabuto added in his head.

Naruto sat down next to Kabuto and ordered a bowl of ramen.

"You didn't seem to like him that much. I can feel some animosity toward him coming off of you."

 _"So what Orochimaru said was true. He can sense feelings just like the late Mito Uzumaki. Very interesting indeed."_

"That's an interesting power you have. Not many people have sensory powers that strong. Tell me, what does my chakra tell someone like you about me?"

"I can sense that you have a lot of hatred in your heart. Hatred that's focused on one person. Hatred born from love. Someone hurt someone you love and you want to get even with them. Is that right?"

"... Impressive."

"You should let go of that hate. If you do you open the door to becoming a stronger ninja."

Kabuto pushed his half eaten bowl of ramen toward Naruto and stood up to leave.

"You're an interesting boy Naruto. I like you so I'll give you a bit of advice. Stay away from Danzo if you want to keep your heart pure. That man can turn the most noble of warriors into a monster. Believe me. I know first hand." Kabuto started walking away.

"I have some advice for you too. Don't be so hard on yourself. You aren't as bad as you think you are. Believe me. I can tell."

 _"That boy really is an interesting one."_ Kabuto thought as he walked away with a smile.

After he finished his and Kabuto's ramen and recounting the events of the exam for Teuchi and Ayame, Naruto left to go to the hot springs like he promised Kurama.

 ** _"Oh man, I've been waiting for this. Let's find a good spot."_**

 _"I see one over there. This is gonna be awesome!"_

Naruto set up behind some bushes next to the women's hot spring and cut a small barely noticeable hole in the wall. He used that hole to peek inside. Inside was like a perverts dream come true. Naked women everywhere of all shapes and sizes. Curvy women, skinny women, thick women, women with big butts, women with big busts, dark skinned women, pale women, tan women, women with long hair, women with short hair, women with obvious dye jobs, women with fake tits, women with real tits, Women with tattoos, every kind of woman you could imagine was in that hot spring and Naruto was attracted to them all.

 ** _"WE HIT THE MOTHERLOAD!"_**

 _"OH MY GOD THE PROCTOR FROM THE EXAM IS HERE!"_

 ** _"WHERE! I WANNA SEE!"_**

 _"She's the one in the middle there. She's got two other women on each side."_

 ** _"I see her. HOLY SHIT THEY JUST STARTED KISSING EACH OTHER!"_**

 _"OH MY GOD THEY'RE REALLY GOING AT IT!"_

 ** _"I FUCKING LOVE THIS VILLAGE!"_**

Naruto and Kurama were so focused on the amazing sight before them they failed to notice the man slowly creeping up behind them. He was soon so close to Naruto he could touch him. He bent over so his mouth was right next to the boys ear.

"You're in my spot." The man whispered.

Naruto froze in shock. He had literally no idea this guy was behind him. He slowly turned his head and came face to face with a man that he knew instantly.

"Jiraiya... YOU OLD BASTARD!"

 **Meanwhile with Hinata**

Naturally when Hinata arrived home she was beckoned to her fathers study where she found not only him but Neji waiting there for her.

"Hinata I have heard from Neji the details of the preliminaries and his time in the forest. Please fill me in on your experience in the forest." Hinata recounted her time in the forest and her father was stone faced as always.

"It's good to hear that you and your team performed admirably. I understand that you were the only member of your team that passed the preliminaries. Is this correct?"

"Yes father. Shino was defeated by a cloud girl who specializes in fire and sword techniques. Kiba fought Ino, the heir to the Yamanaka clan.

"I heard of the colorful things the Inuzuka was forced to say under the influence of the Yamanaka's technique. You fought Neji's team mate TenTen correct?"

"Yes father. It was a tough fight but I did win."

"Neji tells me you attempted the rotation technique but were unable to perform it correctly. Is that correct?"

"Yes father. I used up my chakra too fast and was unable to sustain it for as long as was necessary."

"Neji failed to mention where you learned this technique. Who taught it to you?"

"... No one. I remembered seeing you practicing it once and attempted it without any prior training in the technique."

"You were lucky you didn't waste so much chakra that you were unable to move after that. I forbid you from performing that technique again until you have mastered it."

"Father will you teach me the technique now?"

"No. If you manage to pass this exam and make chunin status then I will teach you the technique. Until then your old caretaker Ko will oversee your training. Neji has also volunteered to assist you."

"Yes sir. My sensei told me she was coming to talk to me tonight about my training. I will tell her that I will be training with Ko and Neji."

"Very well. You are dismissed Hinata. Neji you stay here. I have things I still wish to discuss with you."

"Yes sir."

Hinata stood up and bowed to the two men and left the office. When he knew Hinata was out of earshot Hiashi began his talk with Neji.

"How did you learn to perform the rotation?" He bluntly asked Neji.

"Sir I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hinata has never seen me perform the rotation. Her knowledge of the technique comes from the scrolls all main family Hyuga are required to read upon promotion to Genin. She also glanced at you for a split second after I asked her where she learned the technique. It's easy to deduce that she saw you perform the technique and attempted to copy it from you. Now I'm going to ask again. How did you learn the technique?"

"Fine then. The truth is my father managed to copy the techniques from the main family's scrolls before he died. He most likely intended to learn the techniques and then pass them on to me when I was ready."

"How was he able to hide that for so long?"

"He hid the scroll he copied the techniques into with his secret stash of pornographic magazines."

"My brother had a secret stash of pornographic magazines?"

"Exactly."

"Interesting. Neji, I know you most likely intended to teach my daughter to master the rotation without my knowledge even though I just forbid her from learning it. I ask that if possible that you also teach her to master the eight trigrams. She can only perform the technique up to thirty two strikes."

"I will try sir. May I ask why you forbid Hinata from learning the rotation if you knew I was going to teach her anyway?"

"You must have noticed the way Hinata has changed lately. She's slowly but surely becoming more confident in her abilities. She didn't even stutter once while in my presence just now. If she has the strength of character to disobey me and master the rotation then I will recognize her as my heir once again."

"But what about Hanabi? I thought you were grooming her to be the heir?"

"Hanabi has no desire to be heir. She is a born fighter who belongs on the battlefield not stuck behind a desk. Hinata on the other hand is compassionate, kind, and selfless. She is what the clan needs to prosper.

"I understand sir. I will do my best to make sure Hinata realizes her true potential."

"Thank you Neji. You are dismissed."

Neji bowed and left leaving Hiashi to his thoughts.

 _"Even he has changed. He no longer looks at Hinata with such hate filled eyes. What in the world has caused them to change so much in such a short amount of time?"_

"Lord Hiashi?" Neji asked as he walked back into the room.

"What is it Neji?"

"I'm just curious as to why you aren't more upset that I failed to pass the exam?"

"It would be hypocritical of me to be angry since I failed my first attempt at the exam as well. So did your father. In fact we lost to the same man."

"May I ask who was able to defeat you both?"

"His name was Minato. He later went on to become the Fourth Hokage."


	17. Chapter 17

ch. 17

"YOU OLD BASTARD!"

Naruto leapt up and attacked Jiraiya with a barrage of punches that the elder shinobi easily dodged.

 ** _"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! WE NEED HIM TO GIVE US THE KEY TO THE SEAL!"_**

 _"THIS BASTARD ABANDONED ME! I PROMISED MYSELF I'D KICK HIS ASS IF I EVER MET HIM!"_

 ** _"IDIOT CHILD!"_**

Naruto kept throwing punch after punch at Jiraiya, ignoring Kurama. Eventually Jiraiya got bored and decided to end Naruto's foolish little tantrum. In one swift motion he grabbed Naruto by the arm and twisted it to the ground.

"Calm down. If this is the way you're going to act then I won't give you the key." Naruto heard this and stopped struggling. Jiraiya let him go when he was sure he was fully calmed.

"You talked to the old man already?" Naruto finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yes. I know that you and the fox have become partners and that you only need the key in order to unleash it's full power."

"Well then, are you going to give it to me?"

"I was thinking about it but after that stunt you just pulled I'm not so sure."

"Screw you old man! You abandoned me and you don't expect me to want to kick your ass?"

"Would you rather I had taken you with me? Constantly moving, constantly in danger, never staying in one place long enough to make friends? That's no life for a child. At least here you had a small chance for a normal childhood."

"Don't try and make excuses. My parents trusted you and you betrayed them. My so called god father left me in some god forsaken orphanage and then with that snake bastard."

Jiraiya tensed up at the mention of his old teammate.

"These past few years I've dedicated to finding Orochimaru. Ever since I learned that he was the one who took you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I swear I heard something. I think someone is out here." A female voice was heard in the hot springs. It seems the two's conversation was loud enough to draw the attention of the women inside and some of them were coming out to investigate. This gave Naruto a devilish idea. He quickly performed his signature sexy jutsu to transform into his usual female persona. This time she was dressed in only a towel and looked like a normal hot spring patron.

A small group of women came out of the hot spring and saw the now transformed Naruto and Jiraiya.

"I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'LL PAY ME! I'M NOT GOING TO YOUR HOTEL ROOM!" The female Naruto screamed at Jiraiya.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON HERE!" The group of women all yelled in unison.

"DAMN IT!" Jiraiya knew from experience that he was in for hell if he stayed. He quickly tossed a smoke bomb on the ground and was gone before the women even knew what was going on.

"Are you okay there sweety?" One of the more maternal women asked the female Naruto.

"Yes. Thank you for chasing that awful man away. He was trying to get me to come to his hotel room to film a dirty movie. I told him I was saving myself for my wedding night but he was really insistent and grabby."

"Well you're okay now sweety. I'm glad we came out when we did."

Naruto thanked the women again and they all left. When he thought he was alone he undid the jutsu.

"Well that was fun. Better go find the old bastard so we can finish our talk." Naruto turned to leave but his face was suddenly smothered by something. It didn't take Naruto long to realize what he just walked into. His face was deep in between a luscious pair of all natural breasts. He looked up to see the face attached to whatever goddess he just walked into only to realize that it was instead a demon. He saw the evil smile of Anko Mitarashi staring down at him. Her attractive body only covered by a small towel that just barely covered her privates.

"That transformation of your's is phenomenal. If I hadn't seen it during the exams I would never have known who you were."

"... Am I gonna die now?" Naruto asked with fear evident in his voice.

"Of course not. You're just curious after all. Speaking of curiosity, I'm a little curious about you."

"What about me?"

"Let's walk and talk." Anko started walking to the dressing room and motioned for Naruto to follow her. He stood outside the room as she changed back into her clothes.

"I've been curious about you ever since you helped Hinata get away from me in the tower. What exactly are you trying to do with her? Are you one of those hopeless romantic types? Did you fall in love with her at first sight or some sentimental bullshit like that? Or maybe you're the kind of guy who likes to hit it and quit it. Whatever the case I just want to let you know something. I've taken a real liking to that girl. Think of me as the crazy big sister she never knew she had. If you do anything to hurt her I'll make sure you regret it. I'll turn you into a real woman, no jutsu required. You catch my drift?

"Y-Yes ma'am. You don't have to worry. I really like Hinata and I don't want to do anything stupid to mess it up."

"If you're serious then here's a piece of advice. Keep it a secret. Relationships between two shinobi of different villages aren't illegal if the two villages have a treaty but they're still looked down on."

"Speaking from experience?"

"My first time was with a man from the hidden mist. Since then I've had a taste of the men and women from practically every single village in this whole wide shinobi world."

"You don't seem the least bit ashamed to admit that."

"It's not like I just jump in the sack with anyone. They have to be clean and have good manners. I don't mess around with people already in a relationship either. Unless of course they're swingers."

"You'd fit in with some of my sisters friends back home."

"Chances are I already know them."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

Anko walked out of the changing room fully clothed (by her standards anyway).

"You seem to be a nice boy. I don't mind if you keep seeing Hinata. Just know that my threat still stands. Hurt her and you won't have to worry about that thing dangling between your legs anymore."

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"Now get out of here. You should be training for the next test in a month. Since my attempt at picking up some hot spring booty was so rudely interrupted by you and that old perverts argument I have no choice but to go find one of my regular booty calls and hope they're up to some fun." Anko turned and started walking away. "Now who should I try and hook up with now? The cyclops is probably still pissed about his team failing. I wonder if wood boy is in the mood today?"

 _"And people think I'm crazy."_ Naruto thought as he watched Anko leave.

 ** _"Naruto, now that we're done gawking over the sexy lady can we please GO GET THE FUCKING KEY! THANKS TO YOUR DUMBASS PRANK WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE FUCKER IS NOW! AND YOU KNOW WHAT!? WHEN WE FIND HIM I'M DOING THE FUCKING TALKING! I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH OF A BASTARD THIS GUY IS WE NEED HIM TO GIVE US THE KEY!"_**

Kurama continued mentally screaming at Naruto as he jumped away to look for Jiraiya.

 **With Hinata**

Hinata and Kurenai were talking out in the garden of the Hyuga compound.

"I've decided to train with my caretaker Ko and Neji. I'm sorry sensei."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I completely understand. Besides it gives me more time to work on the other two."

"Please go easy on them sensei. They tried their best."

"Shino tried his best. Kiba made an ass of himself. Anyway can you promise me one thing Hinata?"

"Yes sensei?"

"Practice recognizing and dispelling genjutsu for me. None of the other genin showed an aptitude for genjutsu but you can never be too careful. They may have been hiding it so they can use it in the real matches."

"I understand sensei. I will ask Ko to help me work on it."

"Good. I should get going now. I told Shino and Kiba to hang upside down from a tree using only their chakra until I got back. That was four hours ago."

"Sensei? You only just got here. What have you been doing the past four hours?"

"Well first I did a little shopping for clothes. That lasted about an hour. I went out to eat after that. It took maybe thirty minutes. Then I ran into Asuma. He was in the mood so I spent about two hours with him. Then I took a shower and came here. That took about half an hour."

"Shameless..."

"Wait until you grow up sweety. You won't be so quick to call me shameless when you experience the warmth of a mans love."

"I won't be going around telling everyone about it like you and miss Anko do."

"We'll see sweet heart. We'll see."

With that Kurenai left leaving a slightly angry Hinata by herself.

 _"I still can't believe it but Anko was right. The way to get Hinata out of her shell is to make her angry. So simple yet it took a psychopath like Anko to figure it out."_ Kurenai thought to herself as she walked back to the training grounds.

Hinata walked by the family dojo on the way back to her room. She decided to pop in for a second to vent some of the anger she was experiencing. She didn't know why she would get so angry when Anko and Kurenai would tease her about sex, but she would think about that another time. She walked up to a training dummy and took her stance. With one mighty strike she shattered the dummie's torso.

"I feel much better now, teehee." Happy with herself she turned around and strolled back to her room with a smile on her face."When she left the dojo she passed by her father who was on his way in. She respectfully bowed and continued on her merry way. Hiashi saw the training dummy she had just destroyed and went to inspect it.

"This dummy was created by the wood style user. No genin should be strong enough to destroy it. Most interesting indeed."

 **With Naruto**

 ** _"AND ANOTHER THING, YOU BETTER NOT ATTACK HIM AGAIN! IF YOU DO I SWEAR I'LL RIP THROUGH THIS SEAL AND DEVOUR YOUR SOUL, CONSEQUENCES BE DAMNED!"_**

 _"I found him. You can stop bitching now."_

 ** _"HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND HIM SO FAST!?"_**

 _"Did you really just ask me that?"_

 ** _"Oh... I was so mad I forgot we could just sense him."_**

 _"Dumbass."_

 ** _"At least I can do basic math."_**

 _"Fuck you."_

 ** _"Fuck you too."_**

Naruto had tracked Jiraiya to a small encampment near one of the training grounds. Jiraiya was sitting by a fire cooking up some fish he had caught from a nearby stream. He beckoned for Naruto to sit next to him and offered him a fish that Naruto accepted.

"I should be furious at you for that stunt you just pulled but i'm not. It reminded me so much of your mother."

"My mom was a prankster too?"

"Yes. Her favorite prank was using the transformation jutsu to turn into an attractive man and walk around in front of couples to expose the unfaithful women."

"What the hell? That's MY prank. I do that all the time except I turn into a sexy girl instead of a guy."

"Yes, I've heard from the third about your sexy jutsu. He said you even stunned the Uchiha boy with it."

"Oh yeah, that was awesome! I got his girlfriend to scream at him."

"Would you... be willing to show me this amazing jutsu?"

"In exchange for the key?"

"Deal."

"Okay, you asked for it. SEXY JUTSU" The busty female form of Naruto appeared wearing a small orange bikini and blew a kiss toward the perverted master ninja."

"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRFECTION!" The perverted sage screamed as he took in the sight before him. This time he wasn't in danger of getting mauled by a crowd of angry hot spring patrons so he was able to study every curve of the goddess before him.

"Why do you have that stupid bikini on? Take it off, I wanna see everything!"

"That wasn't the deal Jiraiya. Maybe if you give me some more incentives I'll be willing to go a little further."

"I'll let you sign the toad contract!"

"That's a good start but not exactly what I had in mind."

"I'LL TEACH YOU ONE OF YOUR FATHERS SECRET TECHNIQUES! COME ON THAT HAS TO BE WORTH IT!"

"DEAL!" Naruto ripped his bikini off and threw it to the wind. Jiraiya exploded in a fit of tears and started drawing a picture of the nude female form on a notepad he took out of his pocket.

"I have seen the promised land and it is beyond the valley. The valley between those melon breasts."

Naruto let the old pervert have his fun for a few more seconds before reverting to his normal form.

"NO! I WASN'T DONE YET! I WASN'T ABLE TO DRAW HER LEGS!"

"Too bad. Maybe if you teach me those techniques you promised I'll think about letting you see her again."

"Fine, first thing's first." Jiraiya took a huge scroll off of his back and opened it up on the ground.

"Sign the toad contract in blood."

"Why can't we unlock the seal first?"

"Because I want to make sure you are ready before I bestow upon you such power. When you master the summoning jutsu and your fathers secret jutsu I will give you the key. Not before."

"Fine. It'll be a piece of cake to master the summoning jutsu. I bet my dads flying thunder god won't be that hard either."

"Woah there kid don't get ahead of yourself. I can't teach you a technique I don't know."

"Then what jutsu of my dad's did you plan on teaching me? I thought his only secret technique was the flying thunder god?"

"There was one other technique your dad invented. It's called the rasengan. Few know of it since he invented it after he became Hokage. The only two people in the world who know the technique are myself and your father's last living student. Follow me and I'll show you." Jiraiya brought Naruto to a huge tree that was as thick as an Akamichi's stomach. He held out his hand and a blue ball started to form in his palm.

"This is the rasengan. Your father created it as the ultimate form of chakra shape manipulation."

"Chakra shape manipulation? You mean like how some people can shoot chakra out of their swords?"

"That's one way to use shape manipulation. Another way is to cover your entire body in an aura of chakra like the Raikage is known to do. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination."

"So what makes the rasengan so special?" Instead of answering Naruto's question Jiraiya slammed the rasengan into the tree. It was almost drill like the way it penetrated the tree and created a huge sphere shaped hole.

"And that was me holding back."

"WOAH! YOU GOTTA TEACH ME HOW TO DO THAT! COME ON PRETTY PLEASE!"

"First thing's first. Sign the toad contract. Once you master that then we'll move on to the rasengan."

"Okay! this summoning jutsu is gonna be easy!"

 **One week later**

"THIS SUMMONING JUTSU IS BULLSHIT!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? You have to learn to control the amount of chakra you use for this jutsu. You don't want to summon a messenger when you're trying to summon a warrior do you?"

"I get it already! I just suck at chakra control."

"Well then you need to hurry up and learn! It's already been a week. The opponents you'll be going up against are no joke. You may need the assistance of the toads to defeat them."

An orange skinned toad jumped in between the two.

"Hey Jiraiya, lay off the kid will ya? He's trying his hardest. This is a jonin level technique so you can't expect a genin to master it in a week." The small toad said trying to mediate the situation.

"I appreciate your concern Gamakichi but his father already had this jutsu mastered by now and I taught it too him when he was younger than Naruto."

"Well maybe you should just go find another prodigy like him to train then!" Naruto stormed off leaving Jiraiya and Gamakichi by themselves.

"You've really done it now Jiraiya." The small toad hopped after Naruto leaving Jiraiya by himself again.

 _"That boy is so much like his parent's... I've got an idea on how to motivate him."_

 **With Naruto**

Naruto was walking down an alley in the village.

"Stupid old man and his stupid jutsu." Naruto kept mumbling to himself until Gamakichi jumped onto his head surprising him.

"Yo, Naruto. Don't let the old asshole get you down. You're doing great considering how hard this jutsu is."

"I know but it's not enough. At this rate I won't have the jutsu mastered by the end of the month."

"So Hinata how has your training been going?" A voice was heard on the other side of the fence. Naruto quickly jumped and grabbed on to the fence so he could look over. He saw Hinata talking with Sakura. Both of their backs were turned to him and they were walking away.

"It's been hard but I think I'm making some progress." Hinata said.

"Man, i'm so jealous of you! You get to compete in the finals of the chunin exam in your first year as a genin."

"Yeah but I'm a little nervous. That sand girl seems really strong. She knocked out Choji in one shot."

"You're strong too Hinata. You beat that girl with all the weapons."

"TenTen is her name. She's been helping me train along with Neji. She's actually a really nice girl. We've started to become friends."

"You should invite her to our next girls day. The more the merrier I say." The two girls round the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Hey Naruto, who were those two girls? You looked like you knew them."

"They took the chunin exams too. The pink one failed and the cute one is still in it."

"Oh so you like that girl eh?"

"Well yeah. I really want to impress her. That's why I want to master the jutsu's that the old man is teaching me."

"Then what the hell are you doing here then? Get back there and show the old bastard you can do it."

"Yes sir!" Naruto started running at top speed back to the training grounds.

 _"Hinata is doing her best to train for the exam. So will I!"_

 **Back at the training grounds**

When Naruto got back to the training grounds he found Jiraiya sitting on a rock with two folders in his hands. He motioned for Naruto to come over and sit next to him which he did.

"People love to assume things. They hear about the fourth hokage and his great accomplishments and assume he was some great prodigy. They couldn't be farther from the truth." Jiraiya handed one of the folders to Naruto. Naruto looked inside and discovered that this was his fathers school records.

"Look at the grades for the first year in the academy." Naruto did as instructed and was amazed at what he saw.

"Chakra control: D

Taijutsu:D

Ninjutsu:D

Genjutsu:F

Stealth:D

Weapons:D"

"My father's grades were really that bad?"

"Your father wasn't a prodigy. He was a loser. Now check the rest of the grades." Naruto did as instructed only to become even more surprised.

"This can't be right. It says here that from the second year in the academy onward he had an A rank in every single category except Ninjutsu. He had an S rank in that."

"Your father's second year in the academy was the year your mother moved to the village. That amazing turn around in your father's grades was because of her."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember your father told me about the first time he saw your mother. About how she loudly proclaimed that she would be the first female hokage and how when the other students made fun of her red hair she picked them up and tossed them out the window. He said he fell in love with her at first sight. At first he started studying to try and impress her. After they officially became a couple a few months later she came to his house everyday and they would study together." He handed Naruto the other folder.

"This one is my school record." Naruto opened it up and his jaw almost hit the floor.

"YOU HAD AN F IN EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY!"

"Oh yes. I was the biggest loser of them all. I only went to the academy every other day. I spent most of my time playing hooky. It's a miracle I made genin at all." Jiraiya stood up and looked straight at Naruto.

"Don't ever think that just because you aren't a prodigy that you can't become a great ninja."

Naruto felt the fire in his stomach ignite and he jumped up ready to go.

"Let's go! I won't let this stupid summoning jutsu hold me down! I'm gonna be the greatest ninja who ever lived!"


	18. Chapter 18

ch. 18

It was the dawn of a new day and Naruto was on his way toward the training grounds Jiraiya had set up camp in. It had been two weeks since they started training and Naruto was finally going to begin learning the rasengan. On his way there he noticed a square shaped rock in his way with two big eye sized holes in it. It was obviously another one of Konohamaru's less than stellar disguises. Naruto picked the fake rock up and tossed it behind him revealing Konohamaru and two other kids his age. The three kids got into a formation and began reciting their names.

"Udon!" A nerdy kid with glasses and a runny nose proclaimed.

"Moegi!" A girl with red hair and rosy cheeks proclaimed.

"And i'm the leader Konohamaru! Together we are the konohamaru corps.!"

"Sorry Konohamaru. I can't play today. I'm going to go learn a new technique. I can't have any distractions." Naruto told the kids with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Aw! Then what are we supposed to do today?" Konohamaru said solemnly.

"Go pull some pranks or something. That was my favorite thing to do on the weekends. I got to go. See ya." Naruto walked off leaving the kids by themselves.

"Now what Konohamaru?" The girl of the group asked.

"You heard the man. I'm gonna show you guys the pranks that Naruto showed me." With that the kids left to prank the unsuspecting citizens of the leaf village.

 **At the training grounds**

"Where's the old pervert?" Naruto said out loud when he arrived at the training grounds. He spotted a note on the front of Jiraiya's tent and read it to himself.

"Gone to buy the supplies I need to teach you the technique. Be back by noon. I left you a scroll of wind techniques to look at while I'm gone. It's in the tent by my bag." Naruto entered the tent and found the scroll. He opened it up and read aloud the contents.

"Basic wind chakra applications.

Wind style is one of the most versatile elements in ninjutsu. The most common application of wind chakra is to form it into blades for cutting the opponent but wind style is also a very strong support element. Wind masters can create strong currents of wind that can hinder enemy projectiles and assist friendly projectiles. Some shinobi have even been known to create winds strong enough to rival a tornado. "

Reading about the wind style got Naruto thinking. He knew a few basic wind style jutsu and could use them effectively in combat but he never even considered how useful wind could be in a group fight. Naruto was a one man army after all. His shadow clones could use wind style to help each other. He decided to try something out. He left the tent and summoned a shadow clone and instructed it to toss a kunai at a nearby tree. The kunai was imbedded into the tree as it should have been. He then instructed it to do the same except channel some wind chakra into the blade. It did as instructed and the next kunai was imbedded even further into the tree. Naruto insructed the clone to throw one more chakra enhanced kunai at a tree and this time he blew a gust of wind from his mouth to try and accelerate the kunai. The kunai shattered the tree on impact and the kunai flew into a rock imbedding itself into it.

"Woah!" Naruto and his clone jumped back, surprised at their own power.

"Impressive." A voice sounded behind Naruto.

Naruto turned around to see who it was that managed to sneak up behind him. It was an elderly man covered head to toe in bandages. He looked like an old shinobi. His arm was in a sling most likely injured beyond use in a mission.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"My name is of no importance. I was out for a casual stroll and just happened to see you practicing with the wind style. You don't see a lot of wind style users anymore. It's a rare affinity. I happen to know a few wind style jutsu myself. Let me give you an example." The old man pulled out a kunai and formed a chakra blade from it. He swung it and sent a blade of wind toward a tree cutting it clean in half.

"HOLY CRAP!" Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. This old guy was insanely powerful.

"In my prime I was considered one of the greatest wind style shinobi in the world." The old man casually remarked.

"Mister would you please teach me that technique? I've got the chunin exams coming up in a few weeks."

"I would love nothing more than to pass on my teachings to the next generation but I'm sorry to say that I can't teach a boy from another village."

"Oh, I understand." Naruto said with a look of sadness on his face.

"Perhaps if you were to come to me wearing a leaf headband I may change my mind. Think about it child. I could make you one of the greats." The man began to walk away.

 ** _"Naruto this guy isn't what he seems. Check his chakra."_**

Naruto did as instructed and was bewildered at what he felt.

 _"What the hell is this guy? He has a dozen different chakra signatures. It's like he's a bunch of different people rolled into one."_

 ** _"During the last war all the villages were experimenting with gene splicing. I think this guy is a remnant of that."_**

 _"What's gene splicing?"_

 ** _"Giving the natural abilities of one being to another being. Say for example there was a shinobi with a bloodline ability that gave him immunity to all poisons. With gene splicing you can take that ability and give it to another ninja."_**

 _"That sounds an awful lot like what the snake tried to do to me."_

 ** _"That's because it's exactly what he tried to do to you. Gene splicing was made illegal after the third war because of how dangerous it was. Very few people can survive the splicing process. The fact that the old man just now is still alive is a testament to his power."_**

 _"No kidding. He may be an old cripple but that guy is a lot stronger than I am now."_

 ** _"So strong I almost missed the genjutsu he tried on you."_**

 _"Wait what? Why the hell wasn't that the first thing you told me? I would have told him to fuck off."_

 ** _"That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I wanted to see what the old bastard wanted. He's obviously trying to convince you to stay in this village. The genjutsu he attempted was a subtle persuasion jutsu. You would have been putty in his hands and not even realized it."_**

 _"He's going to have to do a lot more than try some stupid genjutsu and show me some cool wind attack if he wants me to leave my friends and family."_

 ** _"Speaking of family, The asshole is coming. We're finally going to learn the rasengan."_**

Jiraiya showed up right on time with three bags full of different kinds of balls.

"I can see you were enjoying that wind scroll I left you. Now lets get to the real fun stuff." He tossed a water balloon toward Naruto who caught it.

"There are three steps to master if you want to perform the rasengan. First is rotation."

 **With Hinata**

"Again." Neji commanded. TenTen launched a barrage of weapons toward Hinata who expertly blocked them all with the rotation. When she stopped the technique she fell over breathing heavy.

"It seems your meager chakra reserves limit the amount of times you can perform the rotation. You must be careful not to overuse the technique." Neji told Hinata with an emotionless voice.

"We shall break for lunch now. Meet me back here in an hour and we will drill the eight trigrams" Neji said as he turned to leave. Ko, who was overseeing the training went over to Hinata and helped her up.

"Lady Hinata you are truly excelling. Your father wasn't even able to master the rotation so fast."

"Thank you Ko." Hinata said as she stood up.

"TenTen, would you like to go have lunch with me? I would enjoy your company." Hinata asked the older girl who nodded. The two walked off together hand in hand.

 **With the Konohamaru corps.**

"I'm tired of looking Konohamaru! Just pick someone to prank already!" The girl Moegi yelled.

"I'm tired too." The boy Udon added in.

"Be patient guys. Naruto told me that the first rule to being a good prankster is to find the right mark. AHA! See that couple there holding hands? That's the kind of mark I was looking for."

"Konohamaru those are two girls." Udon commented obviously too young to know that people have varying sexual preferences.

"Just because two people are holding hands doesn't mean that they are a couple Konohamaru. You're so dumb sometimes." Moegi said annoyed.

"Just shut up and watch the master at work. " Konohamaru jumped down and transformed into his own version of the sexy jutsu. It wasn't as good as Naruto's who spent years trying to create the most universally appealing girl possible but it was good enough for a rookie like Konohamaru. This version had long brown hair instead of the blond pigtails but it had relatively the same measurements of the original. The female konohamaru had on a tight blue tube top and white short shorts. Konohamaru stepped out of the alley in front of the two walking girls and began walking in the opposite direction of the two. He made eye contact with the taller of the two and winked. He didn't get the reaction he expected. The girl he winked at winked back and made a kissy face for a second. The blue haired girl walking next to her didn't even care. Konohamaru walked into an alley and dispelled his jutsu. He then joined his friends on the rooftops to watch the girls reactions.

"That girl was a real cutey wasn't she Hinata?"

"I suppose so TenTen. Her clothes were pretty shameless though."

"Yeah but it shows confidence which I love in a girl. Hell if you were a little more confident I'd be all over you too."

"But I"

"Yeah, Yeah I know. You like guys. I don't know what you see in those big hairy apes anyway."

"You aren't exactly the kind of person who should be talking about guys. The only men in your life besides your dad are two crazy workout addicts and a robot."

"Did you just make a joke? Who are you and what have you done with Hinata?"

The two friends laughed and continued their walk.

Meanwhile Konohamaru was kneeling down with tears streaming down his face.

"I have failed my master. I don't deserve to be the pupil of the great prank king Naruto."

"Drama queen" Moegi said.


	19. Chapter 19

ch. 19

It was the night before the exam finals and The mysterious silver-haired boy Kabuto was standing atop a building in the village. He was soon joined by the jonin sensei of the three sand genin taking the exam.

"Baki. How nice of you to join me."

"Cut the small talk Kabuto. What do you want?"

"I'm just here to inform you of the plan for tomorrow."

"Spit it out already. What happened that caused your boss to change the plan so suddenly?"

"Two things, the first is that there is an incredibly powerful sensory ninja in this village. Orochimaru doesn't want to risk exposing himself early so instead of hiding within the village he's set it up so that he will appear via summoning jutsu performed by one of his most trusted men. The second thing is that the legendary Jiraiya is here. He wants your men who are performing the snake summoning outside the village to keep him preoccupied and away from the Shukaku. Jiraiya is one of the few men who is capable of stopping it."

"I'll make sure to brief my people on the changes to the plan. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Then all that's left is to take care of our little eavesdropper."

The sound of someone scrambling away at top speed could be heard as the man who was spying on the two ran for his life.

"I'll take care of it." Kabuto stated.

"No. I'll take him out. Consider it a show of good faith."

"I appreciate the gesture but it's been so long since I've had an oppurtunity to kill. I'm sorry to say I must decline." Kabuto said right before he jumped away to follow the spy.

"Crazy kid." Baki commented as he left.

 **The next day**

"Naruto. Hey Naruto!"

"I don't think he can hear you big brother."

"Screw this."

The sleeping form of Naruto was startled awake by a torrent of ice cold water bombarding his face.

"WHO,WHAT,WHEN,WHERE,WHY,HOW!?" The boy yelled as he took in his surroundings.

"Finally! We've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes already. " The orange toad Gamakichi explained to Naruto.

"Gamakichi? And Gamatatsu too. What are you guys doing here?"

"Jiraiya told us to wake you up so you wouldn't be late to the chunin exam finals."

"THE CHUNIN EXAM FINALS! I GOTTA GO NOW!" Naruto took off in the opposite direction of the arena where the finals were to be held.

"Big brother, I think we should go after him." The yellow toad Gamatatsu suggested.

"Give it a minute." The orange toad responded.

After a few seconds Naruto could be seen in the distance running back toward the two toads.

"YO DUMBASS! THE FINALS DON'T START FOR ANOTHER TWO HOURS!" Gamakichi yelled at Naruto who stopped in front of the two.

"Why didn't you guys tell me that? Where the hell is Jiraiya?"

"One, you ran off before we could. Two, he said something about running an errand and left us to wake you up and get you ready. Come on, we have to get some food in you and get you in a bath."

The two toads jumped onto Naruto's shoulders and the three left the training grounds.

 **With Hinata**

Hinata stood in front of her mirror staring at herself. She had spent the past month of her life training and she felt confidence like she has never felt before. A knock came at the door and Hinata left the mirror to open it. Her younger sister Hanabi was there.

"Sis, Neji is waiting for you."

"Thank you dear." Hinata placed a soft kiss on her younger sisters forehead and walked away.

"Hinata!" Hanabi yelled at her sister's back.

"Yes?" Hinata asked as she turned around.

"Go kick some butt!" Hanabi held out a thumbs up.

"I intend to." Hinata smiled and walked away to find Neji who was standing by the gate to leave the compound.

"Hinata, Are you ready?" The stoic boy asked.

"Yes." Hinata replied with confidence.

"Good. Go make the clan proud."

"Neji... Thank you for all of your help." Hinata put her arms around Neji in a hug stunning the usually stone faced boy. After a few seconds he returned the hug.

"Make me proud today... Little sister."

 **In the hospital**

The third hokage stood over the beaten and bandaged form of one of his ninja. The clip board in front of his bed revealed his name to be Hayate Gekko. Suddenly a purple haired woman in anbu gear barged in the room.

"Lord Hokage! What happened to Hayate?"

"Calm yourself. Hayate is in bad shape but he will recover. He was found unconscious on a rooftop this morning. He was rendered unconscious by a powerful sleeping agent then had his wrists and jaw broken. He should awake sometime in the next few days."

"I don't understand. Why break his wrists and jaw?"

"To keep him from being able to communicate in case he woke up perhaps? That would be my guess. Perhaps Hayate learned something that someone didn't want known."

"Then why not just kill him? Why would they leave him alive?"

"I don't know. It is a strange situation indeed. In any case I'm going to assign you to guard Hayate for the duration of his hospital visit. I'm sure he'll be grateful that when he wakes up the first face that he'll see will be yours." The old man gave the woman a smile.

"Thank you lord hokage."

"You don't need to mention it Yugao."

 **With Naruto**

As Naruto and his two toad companions reached the arena the two brothers jumped off of Naruto's shoulders.

"This is where we leave you Naruto. Jiraiya said that summons are legal in this tournament so don't be afraid to call for help if you need it."

"I'll keep that in mind Gamakichi. Thank you and Gamatatsu for helping me get ready."

"You don't need to mention it Naruto. Just kick some ass out there." The two toads teleported back to their home and Naruto walked into the arena. He met up with his team in the main entranceway and his sister was beyond not happy with him. She ran over and snatched his ear in her hand.

"And where the hell were you last night? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"AH, I'M SORRY SIS! I FELL ASLEEP TRAINING! I PROMISE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!"

"For your sake it better not!" Yugito let go of Naruto's ear and pulled him into a big hug.

"Do you have any idea how much I worry about you?"

"Sis, you're embarrassing me! People are staring at us."

"Let them stare."

A few people could be heard whispering things like "mama's boy" as Yugito continued to hug Naruto.

 _"Kurama help me out here"_

 ** _"No."_**

 _"What do you mean no?"_

 ** _"I think it's sweet. Just shut up and deal with it. Or would you rather be alone again like all those years ago?"_**

Those words struck a cord with Naruto. He put his arms around his big sister and hugged her back.

"I'm sorry for making you worry sis."

"Apology accepted."

"Sorry to break up this tender moment but me and Naruto have to go meet up with the rest of the competitors." Karui said.

The two broke their hug.

"Before you go let me just say that I'm proud of you both for coming this far. I know you'll both do great."

"Thanks sis."

"Thank you sensei."

The two made their way to the middle of the arena while the rest of their team went up to the stands to find a place to sit. Yugito and Omoi found a nice place in the front row. There was conveniently an extra seat next to Yugito which was soon filled. Iruka walked up and greeted the two before sitting down next to Yugito.

 _"Can these two at least pretend to not be banging when they're in public?"_ Omoi thought.

 **With the hokage**

As the hokage sat in his chair overlooking the arena he was soon joined by the Kazekage.

"Ah lord kazekage, I'm glad you could make it." The hokage extended his hand to the kazekage but the kazekage denied the gesture. The kazekage wore similar robes and hat to the hokage but he also wore a face mask concealing his face from view.

"I'm very sorry lord hokage but I seem to have been stricken with a sickness. I wouldn't want to pass on my misfortune to you. I hope you understand."

"Of course lord kazekage. It happens to the best of us."

The kazekage sat down and began conversing with the hokage.

"Will the raikage be attending this event?"

"No. He has decided to send his younger brother. Apparently lord Bee wanted to come see his favorite student compete and A didn't want both of them to be gone at the same time."

"YEAH!" A voice could be heard coming closer to the two.

"I believe that's him right now."

Killer Bee came into view on the balcony and sat down on the opposite side of the hokage.

"What's up?"

"You're as free-spirited as ever lord Bee." The hokage casually commented.

"Lord Hokage, I've been informed that all the competitors have arrived and are ready to begin." One of the hokage's ninja whispered into his ear.

"Excellent. Tell Genma to begin immediately." The ninja disappeared with the message and soon after the proctor for the exam and all the competitors walked out onto the field. The hokage stood up and began his opening speech.

 _"AW COME ON! DO WE REALLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE OLD MAN GIVE ANOTHER SPEECH!?"_

 ** _"Just ignore it. It'll probably be another boring talk about the importance of international brotherhood or some other such crap."_**

 _"I wanna get to the fights already. That Lee guy is super strong and I've been wanting to fight him since the preliminaries."_

 ** _"That reminds me. Naruto, what are you going to do if you have to fight the girl?"_**

 _"I've been giving that a lot of thought. I'm going to respect her as a shinobi and treat her like I would any other fight."_

 ** _"You're gonna use the fight as an excuse to feel her up aren't you?"_**

 _"NO!"_

 ** _"Don't bullshit me. I know when you're lying. You're going to use the wrestling techniques Bee taught you as an excuse to get up close and grapple with her."_**

 _"You always assume the worst of me."_

 ** _"And I'm usually right."_**

 _"Shut up. I think the old man is done."_

"So without further ado, let the chunin exam finals commence!"

The proctor for the exam turned toward the competitors. "Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee please stay here and wait for your match to begin. The rest of you walk up to the catwalk on your left and wait.

Everyone did as they were told.

"I suspect this will be a great match." Lee said to Naruto as they waited for the signal for them to start.

"Yeah. Whatever happens let the best man win."

"Ready? START!"

 **"Elsewhere"**

"We're late! I told you not to stop at that liquor store. The matches have probably started already."

"Calm down. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Well, I just don't want to miss any of Naruto's matches. He's the only reason we came here."

"Look the arena is right over there. Come on Shizune!"

"Lady Tsunade! Wait for me!"


	20. Chapter 20

ch. 20

"Ready? START!"

Naruto and Lee charged at each other. They met each other in the middle of the arena and began bombarding each other with devastating punches.

"Those two are both close range brawlers. They'll probably be at this for awhile." Shikamaru commented to Ino.

"If we're lucky they'll tire each other out. I wouldn't want to fight either of those guys at full power." Ino commented back to her teammate."

The two continued bombarding each other with punches until Lee got the upper hand. He dodged one of Naruto's more zealous punches by ducking low and kicking Naruto straight into the air. Naruto was sent flying and Lee appeared behind him.

"Dancing leaf shadow"

"It didn't work when the Uchiha used it and it won't work now!" Naruto began building up air in his stomach in an attempt to counter the dancing leaf shadow as he did before. Once he was ready to blow Lee disappeared from behind Naruto. Shocked, Naruto exhaled and was sent crashing down to the ground with his own technique. Lee had tricked him by bailing out of the dancing leaf shadow at the last second.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have learned from the Uchiha's mistake?" Lee casually commented to Naruto who was struggling to stand back up.

Meanwhile in the stands Sasuke was furious. He was sitting in between Sakura and Kakashi. He was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

 _"That should be me down there. If it wasn't for that stupid perverted jutsu I would be the one fighting Lee."_

Sakura slapped Sasuke in the back of the head.

"Quit sulking and just enjoy the fight." Sakura scolded.

"Yes ma'am."

 _"She's got him whipped now."_ Kakashi thought.

Back with the fight Naruto was standing up again.

"You tricked me good with that one but it's gonna take a lot more than that to stop me." Naruto said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lee said with a smile.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Ten Naruto's appeared and they all surrounded Lee. They all rushed in at the same time but Lee stood his ground and began dispelling the clones one at a time. Naruto used the momentary distraction to begin setting up for a big offensive maneuver.

First he summoned two more shadow clones. One of them grabbed the real Naruto and began spinning around in a circle. After building up enough momentum he tossed the real Naruto and the other clone performed the grand gust jutsu to accelerate the thrown Naruto. Naruto produced two chakra chains from his hands and began spinning, covering his body all over in the chains. Naruto had turned his own body into a deadly projectile.

When Lee had finally dispelled all of the clones and noticed Naruto's new attack it was already too late for him to dodge. He did the only thing he could think of and opened the first gate. Using his newfound strength he delivered an earth shaking punch that sent Naruto flying backwards into the arms of his two clones.

Both young genin were becoming exhausted. Lee may have stopped Naruto's attack but his arm took alot of damage in their exchange as well. Naruto was likewise feeling the effects of Lee's punch.

 _"Gotta keep on the offensive!"_ Naruto thought.

Naruto's clones rushed at Lee while the real one jumped for an aerial attack. Lee quickly dispelled the two clones with well placed kunai and jumped to meet Naruto in the air. They each went for a flying jump kick. As the two met midair their feet came crashing into each others groins and the two fell down to the ground holding their most vulnerable parts.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! THOSE IDIOTS NUT CHECKED EACH OTHER! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kiba howled with laughter from his seat in the stands with Kurenai and Shino.

"That's my teammate." Karui said with embarrassment evident in her voice.

 _"Don't laugh. It's not funny. DON'T LAUGH!"_ Hinata thought right before she began giggling uncontrollably.

"They're... dumbasses." Shikamaru said aloud.

"Was I really worried about fighting one of these clowns?" Ino commented.

"I don't get it. What's so bad about getting hit there?" Gaara said. Gaara had never experienced physical pain before so of course he wouldn't understand the pain of being hit in the groin.

The two fighters struggled to get back to their feet.

 ** _"Naruto, this isn't looking good. I think you should use the summoning jutsu to get some reinforcements."_**

 _"No. This is one of the toughest guys I've ever fought. I'm not going to take the cowards way out and ask for help."_

 ** _"Idiot human. To hell with your pride we have to win. We're the only ones who can handle the Shukaku. Or did you forget that we fight him next. Don't fool yourself into thinking Karui has even the slightest chance against him."_**

 _"Just shut the hell up."_

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto summoned an army of clones that filled almost the entire arena.

 ** _"Cause that jutsu has worked flawlessly so far!"_**

 _"I SAID SHUT UP!"_

The army of clones rushed at Lee who began defending himself. After a whole five minutes of action the army was destroyed and both of the young genin were breathing heavy.

 _"If I use any more of the gates my body will be too worn out to fight again. I must conserve my strength."_ Lee thought

 _"I refuse to use summons or Kurama's chakra. If I can't beat this guy with my own strength then I don't want to win."_

 ** _"You're a fool Naruto. Don't come crying to me when you lose this match."_**

 _"I won't be losing. I've got a plan. I wanted to save this for Gaara but I'm gonna have to use it now."_

Naruto began building up his chakra. His body became surrounded in an aura of chakra. At first the aura was blue but as he kept building it up it turned white and the air around Naruto became violent as if it was in a tornado.

"Oh! That technique!" The hokage said stunned.

"The kid actually did it! He copied my brothers technique and now he's straight pimpin!" Bee rapped, proud of his student.

 _"It's true what they say about Killer Bee. The man is a terrible rapper."_ Were the Kazekage's only thoughts.

"It's time to end this!" Naruto proclaimed.

Lee stood smiling. "I've heard of the Raikage's special technique but to actually fight someone with their own version of it is an honor. I must return the favor by honoring you with my full strength." Lee sat down and began taking off his boots. He revealed weighted training gear hidden in them and casually tossed them aside. They created enormous craters in the ground that shocked everyone in the stands. Lee got into his fighting stance and the two young warriors disappeared in a flash. Their speed was unbelievable. Only some of the most experienced Shinobi in the stands could keep up with them. The two clashed repeatedly with Lee getting the worst of it. Naruto's aura of wind chakra didn't just enhance his speed but it protected his body.

"THIS IS IT!" Naruto kicked Lee up into the air.

"DANCING LEAF SHADOW" Naruto yelled as he began covering Lee with chakra chains. Naruto slammed Lee into the ground head first and landed not too far away. He let his aura dissipate and fell to his knees exhausted.

"That... was... the... best... fight... EVER!" Naruto said while trying to catch his breath.

Lee was in a crater in the ground knocked for a loop.

"Grandma? can I have the curry of life grandma? I've been a good boy." Lee said in a daze.

"I think that's enough. The winner of the match is Naruto Uzumaki!" The proctor announced.

There was a lukewarm applause and Naruto walked off irritated.

 _"They could have cheered better than that."_

 ** _"What do you expect? This crowd is full of mostly leaf ninja and civilians. You're the equivalent of the foreign heel in a wrestling match."_**

 _"Now that I think about it you're right. Shoot, I hate not being the babyface."_

 ** _"Beats being a jobber."_**

As Naruto was walking up the steps to the balcony where the other contestants watched the match he passed by Gaara on his way up.

"I'm going to kill your friend." Gaara casually commented to Naruto as he passed by. Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and had to restrain himself from attacking Gaara on the spot. Karui wasn't far behind and saw the two's interaction. As she passed by Naruto he grabbed her by the wrist to stop her.

"Don't die out there." He whispered to her.

"Don't worry about me. If things get to hairy out there I'll forefeit." Karui began walking away before she stopped.

"Wait I forgot something." She turned around and kicked Naruto straight in the groin.

"Don't think I didn't notice you grabbing my ass. Perverted motherfucker." Karui turned and walked off for real this time. _"_

"But I didn't grab her ass." Naruto said aloud as he held his aching groin.

 _"At least not this time."_ He added in his mind.

As Naruto struggled to stand up he heard giggling and looked up the stairs to see Hinata and the Nara boy standing at the top of the stairs.

"There we pranked him. Can I go back to the top now?"

"Yes. Thank you Shikamaru."

The wheels began turning in Naruto's head and he realized that Hinata must have asked the Nara boy to use his shadow to touch Karui's rear right as they passed by so she would think it was Naruto.

"That's not funny!" Naruto yelled at the giggling girl.

"You're right. IT WAS HILARIOUS!" Hinata began laughing uncontrollably.

 **With Lee**

Lee was in the infirmary surrounded by his team when he woke up. TenTen put her hands on Lee's shoulder expecting him to need consoling after his loss.

"It's ironic isn't it?" Lee said as he sat up.

"What do you mean?" Neji questioned.

"I finally defeated you Neji, only to lose to another stronger than both of us." Lee began smiling and stuck up his thumb in the nice guy pose.

"It only goes to show that we must double our efforts to improve."

Guy sensei began crying in the comical way he does.

"Lee! Your sportsmanship is exceptional!"

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

The two began hugging and Neji and TenTen left the room to let the two have their moment.

"Now do you understand why I don't like men?" TenTen asked Neji as they walked back to their seats.

"Do me a favor and end my life if I ever become like those two." Neji said with complete seriousness.

The two walked by the bathrooms as two teenage girls walked out. TenTen felt like she recognized one of them but quickly brushed it off thinking she must have just seen her around town. When they were out of earshot of the other group the two teenagers started whispering to each other.

"The boy has certainly improved his skills since we saw him last time. Hopefully the idiot doesn't end up getting hurt like he did back then." The blond girl said.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. I heard some people talking and that Lee boy is Might Guy's star pupil. If he can handle that then I'm sure Naruto can handle anything." The black haired one said.

"Wanna make a bet on it Shizune?"

"Lady Tsunade! You promised no gambling while we were here!"

"SSSHHHH! Lower your voice. What was the point in transforming into teenagers if you blow our cover by yelling like that?"

Meanwhile the second match of the tournament was about to begin. Karui and Gaara were staring each other down and waiting for the go ahead from the proctor.

"Ready? BEGIN!"

Karui immediately unsheathed her sword and charged at Gaara. She began slashing wildly at him but each time the sand from his gourd would block the attack. After getting tired of wasting her energy on futile sword attacks she backed off and began preparing her ninjutsu.

"FIRE STYLE FLAMETONGUE JUTSU!" She spat a stream of fire onto her sword as she did in the preliminaries. She held out her sword and sent a concentrated blast of fire toward Gaara. The sand formed around him and protected him from harm.

Getting angry Karui began preparing another fire jutsu.

"FIRE STYLE FLAME CARPET JUTSU!" She spat a stream of fire on the ground this time and it surrounded Gaara. With a wave of his hand the sand covered and extinguished the flames.

"OH FUCK THIS!" Karui began building up all of her chakra for one big jutsu. She was putting all of her hope on this one move.

 **Meanwhile in the stands**

"This girl sure has a lot of fire jutsu. Hey Kakashi sensei do you know any of those jutsu?" Sakura asked. When she didn't get an answer she looked to her side and noticed both her teammate and their sensei focusing on the girl with their sharingans active.

"Did you say something Sakura?" Kakashi asked while keeping his gaze fixed on Karui.

 _"I should have figured these two would be hard at work stealing this girls techniques. Fucking Sharingan."_ Sakura thought as she turned her attention back to the fight.

Karui was flashing through her hand signs, the amount of chakra she was molding was visible in an aura around her.

"FIRE STYLE RAINBOW INFERNO JUTSU!" Karui blew a blast of multi colored fire out of her mouth that covered Gaara and the entire area around him in beautiful rainbow-colored flames.

"If she's using that attack she must really desperate." Naruto said aloud on the competitors balcony.

"So pretty." Hinata and Ino said aloud together.

"That's why she hates this move. Karui is just about the biggest tomboy in the world. She hates pretty stuff like rainbows. She thinks if she uses this technique that people won't take her seriously. The ironic thing is that the rainbow inferno jutsu is one of the strongest fire jutsu in the world." Naruto explained to the girls.

 **Meanwhile at the infirmary**

"Are you sure that you're okay to be moving Lee?" Guy asked his favorite student.

"Of course Guy sensei. Now let us go and watch the rest of the matches."

 **Back with the fight**

When the jutsu was complete Karui began breathing heavy and could barely stand up.

"Used... too much... chakra." She managed to say in between gasps for air.

"Are you done?" Karui froze with fear at the voice coming from behind her. She slowly turned around to see Gaara materializing from sand behind her. He had managed to dodge her attack.

"N-NO! I-I QUIT!" She stammered out at the proctor.

"Okay that's enough. The winner of the match is Gaara."

"The match is only over when my sand has absorbed every single drop of blood from this girls frail little body." Gaara's sand began covering Karui and lifting her into the air.

"That's enough Gaara! If you kill this girl now after she quit you'll be disqualified!" The proctor tried to reason with the insane boy to no avail.

"I GOT TO GET OUT THERE!" Naruto prepared to jump down and save Karui but suddenly Gaara's sand coffin that was encasing Karui was blown apart and Karui was gone.

"Do you have no honor? Attacking an opponent who has already submitted is the shameless act of a coward." Karui was being held in the arms of Rock Lee who came out of the infirmary just in time to see Karui quit and Gaara's attack on her.

"You dare interfere? Fine, I'll kill you too." Gaara raised his hand about to send his sand to attack them only to be stopped by the Kazekage appearing before him.

The two said nothing to each other. They just stared into each others eyes. After a few seconds Gaara relented and sealed his sand back into his gourd. He walked away as if nothing happened.

"I must apologize for my sons behavior. He can be very difficult to handle sometimes." The kazekage apologized to everyone and went back to his seat with the hokage and Bee.

"You are safe now." Lee said as he put Karui back on her feet.

Karui just stared at him a blush barely visible on her face.

"Thanks I guess... Goodbye" She planted a quick peck on Lee's cheek and ran off.

The crowd gave a collective aww and Lee was left speechless blushing and holding his cheek where Karui kissed him.

 _"FUCK! I OWE NARUTO A HUNDRED BUCKS! KARUI ISN'T A LESBIAN AFTER ALL!"_ Omoi thought as he sulked about how light his wallet was about to become.


	21. Chapter 21

ch. 21

"It is time for the third match. Can Hinata Hyuga and Temari please come down to the arena?" The proctor announced. Temari wasted no time in using her giant fan as a glider to gently float down to the proctor. Hinata had no such ability so she turned to walk down the stairs. She locked eyes with Naruto for a second and the two winked at each other. As Hinata descended down the stairs she passed by Gaara who was still on his way up. He was visibly infuriated and he walked past Hinata as if she wasn't even there. Hinata silently thanked the gods he hadn't noticed her and made her way to the middle of the arena and stood ready to fight.

"Ready? BEGIN!"

Hinata knew this girl favored the long range game so she charged in immediately. Temari foresaw this and used her fan to stir up a great wind that stopped Hinata's charge and sent her flying backwards. With a graceful backflip Hinata landed on her feet but she was now much too far away to use her gentle fist techniques.

 _"This isn't good. I can't get close."_ Hinata thought.

"Wind scythe jutsu!" Temari yelled as she began her long range assault. Hinata was forced to dodge the constant barrage of wind attacks. She began racking her brain for some way to get around this girls wind style.

 **Flashback**

"That's enough practice for the day Hinata." Neji said as he stood above an exhausted Hinata. Hinata had been drilling the eight trigrams for hours and was at her limit.

"Neji, may I ask you something?" The shy girl asked as she forced herself to sit up.

"What is it you wish to know?"

"I was just wondering what you do when faced with an opponent that you can't get close too."

"Normally I would just use some kunai but that won't help you get past the sand girl. That was why you asked correct?"

"Yes... I don't know what to do if I can't get close to her. Her wind style will deflect any attempt I make from long range."

"The wind style is a powerful element but like all things it has flaws. Wind jutsu require large amounts of chakra and as you saw in the preliminaries the wind style can't defend from fire jutsu."

"That doesn't help me though. My affinity is water."

"I don't know what else to tell you. I've never fought a ninja skilled in the wind style. If you are going to win this fight then you're going to have to do it with your own strength and cunning."

 **Flashback end**

 _"My own strength and cunning."_ Hinata repeated in her head.

 _"I can do this. I just need to think of a plan... I got it. Now I just need an opening."_

Hinata immediately put her plan into action. She made a rush straight at Temari. Temari of course tried to push her away the same way she did before but Hinata was prepared this time. She stopped in place as soon as Temari stirred up her great wind and prepared herself for the next phase of her plan.

 **Flashback**

"You had the basic form for the rotation down fairly well. The problem was that you had the wrong balance of rotation and chakra exertion. If you rotate faster then you can get the same power from the technique with less chakra." Neji lectured to his cousin.

"I understand. How will I know what the proper balance is?"

"The same way you would learn any other jutsu. Practice it over and over again until you have the technique mastered."

"How long did it take you to master this technique?"

"Three months. The circumstances were different for me however. I was learning it during a time where I was actively taking missions. My training time was limited. I'm sure you can do it within a months time if you apply yourself."

 **Flashback end**

"ROTATION!" Hinata yelled as she attempted her clans sacred technique. In the stands Neji began smiling.

"So that is the plan she came up with. Interesting." Neji said aloud.

"What are you talking about Neji?" TenTen inquired.

"Watch closely and you'll understand." Neji responded.

TenTen listened to his advice and understood what he meant. Hinata was using the rotation not only as a way to protect herself but to manipulate the wind Temari had stirred up. She created a small tornado and was using it to kick up all the dirt around her. When she halted the rotation the tornado turned into a huge cloud of dust that covered a huge portion of the arena.

"Do you really think you can hide in that dust cloud? I'll just blow the whole thing away!" Temari never got a chance to get rid of the dust cloud because Hinata immediately jumped out of it. Her headband covering her eyes from the sand. She brandished a kunai and came down on Temari from the air.

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Hinata had no way of blocking this attack. It looked like it was all over. When the wind scythe reached Hinata it cut her in half causing her body to turn into a puddle of water.

"I win." Hinata said from behind Temari. Temari swung around only to be assaulted by a barrage of gentle fist strikes.

"EIGHT TRIGRAMS TWO PALMS! FOUR PALMS! EIGHT PALMS! SIXTEEN PALMS! THIRTY TWO PALMS! EIGHT TRIGRAMS SIXTY FOUR PALMS!" When the attack was done Temari fell backwards unable to move. Around this time the dust was clearing up a little more and an empty canteen could be seen lying abandoned on the floor.

"You used the dust cloud as a distraction to create the water clone. You then used the water clone to bring my attention upward so I wouldn't notice you coming at me from behind."Temari managed to say from her spot on the ground.

"That's correct." Hinata replied as she pulled down her headband. Like the clone the real Hinata had also pulled it over her eyes to protect them from the dust cloud.

"The winner of the match is Hinata Hyuga!" The proctor loudly proclaimed.

In the stands Hiashi stood up from his seat with the other members of the hyuga clan. Hinata watched as he began clapping. Soon the entire audience was in an uproar of applause for Hinata's victory.

Hinata's face became an almost impossible shade of red. She couldn't handle all the cheers and applause so she ran back to the balcony as fast as she could.

 ** _"Hey Naruto, you know what they say about female water styler users?"_** Kurama inquired to his partner. His tone making his intention with the question obvious.

 _"I swear to god Kurama. Don't say it."_

 ** _"THEY'RE ALWAYS WET! HAHAHAHAHA!"_**

 _"THAT JOKE SUCKS!"_

 ** _"BETTER THAN YOUR DUMB ROCK BOTTOM JOKE!"_**

Elsewhere the hyuga clan were all talking among themselves about Hinata and how much she has grown.

"It seems I made the right decision this time." Hiashi said to himself.

"Daddy?" Hanabi said from next to Hiashi.

"Yes Hanabi?"

"Now that Hinata has become so strong do I have to be the heir anymore?"

"No. Now that Hinata has finally become worthy she will become my heir again."

"Good. I didn't want to be the clan head anyway. I can't go around opening up cans of whoop ass if I'm stuck behind a desk." Hanabi slapped her hand over her mouth after she said that. In her excitement she swore in front of her father and was afraid of the consequences.

"Perhaps I'll make you continue your etiquette lessons. Even if you won't become clan head it is still important for a young lady to learn proper manners."

"Yes sir."

 **In the infirmary**

Temari was laying down on a bed staring up at the ceiling.

 _"That girl made me look like a fool."_ She solemnly thought to herself.

The door opened and her sensei Baki walked in.

"Would you medics please excuse us? I have something I wish to discuss with my student in private."

Assuming that he intended to scream her head off for losing her match the medics did as he requested.

"How are you feeling?" Baki inquired to Temari.

"I can't move very well. They said that in a few hours my chakra network would open itself back up. Until then I'm useless."

"Take this scroll. It's going to start soon. When it does Kankuro is going to take Gaara outside the village where he can prepare for the transformation. That scroll will bring out one of my mole summons. I've instructed him to protect you and help you escape the village."

"Thank you." Temari said as she grabbed the scroll.

"Don't thank me, thank your father for being the kazekage. If I left you here to die he would make me regret it." Baki left Temari alone again.

 _"At least I won't have to be a part of this useless battle now."_ She thought as she lay on her bed.

 **With Karui**

Karui was splashing water on her face in the bathroom attempting to make sense of what she just did.

 _"I can't believe what I just did. I-I kissed a shinobi from a different village in front of everyone. I shouldn't have done that. He saved my life though, it was the least I could do. His muscles felt so strong under his shirt too. NO! What the hell am I thinking!? He has those weird eye brows. I can't possibly find a guy like that attractive! He wasn't terrible looking though. If you can get past the eye brows I guess he might be a little cute."_

Karui was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She saw in the mirror that it was Yugito. Yugito had a face as if she understood exactly what Karui was thinking right now.

"How long have I been in here? I lost track of time." Karui said.

"Not long. You missed the third match though. The Hyuga girl beat the sand girl." Yugito answered.

"I'm sure Naruto is happy about that."

"Oh I'm sure he is. Knowing him he can't wait until the two of them meet in the arena."

"He probably can't wait to use the opportunity to feel her up. That pervert learned wrestling from Bee just in case he ever had to fight a female shinobi."

"He told me that he learned wrestling because he wanted to be more like Bee."

"Do you believe every bullshit lie that boy tells you?"

Yugito slapped Karui in the back of the head.

"OW!"

"Don't cuss. Now come on before the next match starts."

The two began leaving the bathroom when Yugito stopped and turned around.

"I almost forgot. I got this from Iruka to give to you, just in case you needed it." Yugito held up a condom.

"WHAT THE FUCK WOULD I NEED THAT FOR!?"

"To give that boy a more generous thank you gift for saving you of course. You don't have to use it but I just felt like it would be good for you to have it just in case."

"I don't need that crap! If anyone needs those it's Naruto."

"Naruto already carries them around but that's beside the point. Just take the stupid thing. Even if you don't use it on that Lee boy you can save it for when you need it later in life."

"You won't let me leave this bathroom until I take it will you?"

"Nope."

Defeated, Karui took the condom and slid it into her pocket.

"Can we go now?"

"Yes."

The two left the bathroom and made their way back to their seats.

 **With the kage and Bee**

"That was an impressive match to be sure. An excellent use of both the Hyuga clans techniques and water style." The hokage said aloud in a somewhat gloating manner.

"Lord Hokage, was that Hyuga girl who I think she was?" Bee said in an uncharacteristically serious voice.

"I know what you're thinking Bee, and yes that was the very same girl."

"I'm glad to see she turned out fine. When I found out what happened I got into a huge fight with my brother. I would have left him and the village if he hadn't proven to me that he had nothing to do with the incident."

"Yes I've heard his cover story about being away at the chunin exams during that whole ordeal. You understand if I'm a little hesitant to believe such a convenient alibi."

"Let me ask you something lord hokage. Do you think lightly of my brothers intelligence?"

"Of course not."

"Then why are you so quick to think he had a hand in such a short-sighted and idiotic plan? Think about it for a second. What kind of idiot would kidnap a little girl if the intention was to steal her bloodline trait? Not only would we have to wait until the girl matures until she could bear children but then we would have to wait nine months at a time for the children to be born. It's obvious a boy would be a much better target. One male can impregnate multiple females. Not only that but the idiot who masterminded the event was stupid enough to ask for the ambassadors murderer dead instead of alive. If he asked for the man alive then whether or not he had the caged bird seal would have been irrelevant. We could have taken his genetic material and that would have been enough. My brother may not be the nicest man in the world, he may steal and kill in his quest to make the cloud the strongest ninja village, but the man isn't an idiot, and he certainly isn't the kind of monster who would steal children from their beds at night. Not like your Orochimaru."

When Bee finished his rant the hokage was speechless. The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Their attention was so focused on each other that they didn't notice the kazekage signal someone in the stands.

 _"Finally. I was wondering when he would give the signal."_ An anbu thought as he prepared his genjutsu.


	22. Chapter 22

ch. 22

Flashing through his hand signs at an incredible speed, the mysterious Anbu covered the entire arena in a sleep inducing genjutsu. All of the civilians and some of the less experienced ninja were instantly sent into a deep slumber.

Kakashi and his team were able to dispel the genjutsu, along with the rest of the rookies and team guy. Iruka and Omoi were also unaffected and they went in search of Yugito and Karui.

"Gaara, it's time to go now." Kankuro whispered to his insane brother.

"Time to go wake up Mamma?"

"Yes. Time to go wake up Mamma."

"Excellent."

The two took off leaving everyone else on the competitors balcony confused.

 ** _"Naruto! Something is about to happen. Go after the Shukaku! NOW!"_**

Naruto didn't waste any time and immediately went after them. He could tell Kurama was being dead serious. Meanwhile Hinata, Ino, and Shikamaru all went down to ask the proctor what was going on.

 **With the Kages and Bee**

"It's time to end this charade." The kazekage said as he stood up.

"Lord kazekage, what are you talking about?" The third asked.

Instead of answering the kazekage pulled out a scroll.

"Summoning jutsu!" He yelled as he threw the scroll into the air. It unravelled and landed on the ground. There were five glowing circles on the seal and they all exploded in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared there were five people now standing on the rooftop with them. One of them was an overweight man. Another was a man with four arms. The lone female of the group was a short red haired teenager. The next one was a pale two headed man. In the middle of this group was a man who needed no introduction. His pale snake like body was easily recognizable.

"Orochimaru." The third hokage said the name with clear disgust in his voice.

 **With Naruto**

Naruto stopped in his tracks. His search for the Shukaku was brought to a halt when he felt a presence he hadn't felt in years.

 _"Him."_

 ** _"Listen to me Naruto. That man will get his due but right now you must focus on the Shukaku. We are the only ones who can stop him. The hokage, Bee, or Yugito will deal with Orochimaru."_**

Naruto didn't respond. He just turned back to his search for the Shukaku.

 **Back with the Hokage**

"I've been waiting for this day. The day I can finally atone for the sin of letting you live." The third hokage ripped off his robes and stood in his old battle armor.

"Count me in on this fight too." Bee stood by the hokage's side ready to fight.

"How convenient. I get to kill two of my enemies in one day." With a snap of Orochimaru's fingers the four who accompanied him created a four point barrier around them. It took up a huge section of the building they were on.

"We wouldn't want any distractions now would we? Kimimaro, take off that ridiculous disguise."

The man who up until now everyone thought was the kazekage ripped off his face to reveal a pale man with white hair. He continued to rip off his kage robes and stood wearing a loose samurai style kimono.

"Kimimaro, take care of the eight tails jinchuriki. I'll handle the old man." Orochimaru spat a sword out of his mouth and pointed it at the third.

"Yes sir." In an unbelievable display of speed Kimimaro appeared before Bee ready to cut him down with an overhead slice. Bee was just barely able to block it.

"You're one of the Kaguya clan. Your people were supposed to have been destroyed by the mist." Bee managed to say aloud as he struggled to hold off Kimimaro's attack.

"I managed to survive that day. I now follow my lord Orochimaru." With a devastating round house kick Kimimaro sent Bee flying. He jumped after him and the two began clashing blades. Meanwhile Sarutobi had his hands full with Orochimaru.

"Summoning jutsu!" The third bit his thumb and summoned the monkey king Enma.

"Orochimaru!" The monkey king snarled when he laid his eyes on the treacherous snake.

"I have been allowed a chance to rectify my greatest mistake. Enma, will you aid me in this fight?"

"Of course Sarutobi." Enma transformed into a great staff and the third and Orochimaru began clashing weapons.

Meanwhile the stands had broken out into a full out war zone. The shinobi who hadn't been affected by the genjutsu had been attacked by a group of Orochimaru's agents who had infiltrated the arena disguised as civilians.

"Just like old times Kakashi." Guy said back to back with his old friend.

"Not entirely like old times." Kakashi casually remarked as he watched Sasuke and Lee work together to take down an enemy.

"It's like looking into the past isn't it?"

"A little. Those two still have a lot to learn."

While all this fighting was going on the remaining contestants in the exam met up with the proctor.

"Mr. Genma, what's happening?" Ino asked.

"It looks like someone used the exams as a way to stage an invasion. We have to assume that the sand and cloud are a part of this because their contestants ran away as soon as it all started. I'm giving you three a mission. Follow the two sand ninja and the cloud ninja. If you can bring them back alive for questioning then good. Otherwise terminate them."

"Understood sir." Ino grabbed Shikamaru by the collar and ran off.

"..." Hinata stood silently for a few seconds but then took off after the two.

 _"Naruto can't be a part of this. I have to make sure that him, Ino, and Shikamaru don't end up fighting."_

Around this time Karui and Yugito were meeting up with Iruka and Omoi.

"Something has happened. The arena has turned into a war zone. There are sound and sand ninja everywhere attacking anything that moves." Iruka briefed Yugito and Karui of the situation.

"Karui, Omoi, stay close to me and Iruka. We're going to find Naruto and then meet up with lord Bee. He should be with the hokage."

 **With Temari**

As soon as she could hear the loud sounds of fighting through out the arena Temari forced her weakened body to open up the scroll that Baki had given her. Suddenly a huge mole with sunglasses and a green hat was standing by her bed.

"Reporting as requested! My orders are to extract the lord kazekage's daughter. Are you the lord kazekage's daughter?" Temari nodded and was scooped up into the large arms of the mole summon.

"There is no need to be afraid. I am one of the strongest of the mole summons. I'm so strong that the bear and bird summon families sometimes call on me to help train their new recruits." The mole jumped through an open window and took off with Temari.

 **Outside the village**

"It's time. Begin the summoning." A random sand ninja ordered to his team.

There was a huge explosion of smoke and suddenly several giant snakes appeared. As soon as they were summoned they took off toward the village. The sand ninja stood stunned at the sheer size of the monsters they just summoned.

"Don't just sit there and gawk! Follow after them you idiots!" The leader of the group yelled to his subordinates. They all snapped back to reality and took off toward the village as well.

When the group of snakes reached the village they smashed through the outer wall surrounding it and began tearing up the town. They didn't get the chance to do much damage before they were assaulted from the air by a giant toad. The leaping toad landed on one of the snakes and crushed it's body.

"Looks like sensei was right to put me on guard duty today." Jiraiya said out loud to no one in particular.

 **Flashback**

"What do you mean you want me out patrolling the village today? It's the day Naruto fights in the arena." Jiraiya said to the hokage. The two were sitting in the hokage's office early that morning discussing the attack on Hayate and what it could mean.

"I'm sorry Jiraiya. I know you wish to see the boy fight but I have a terrible feeling about today. It would put my mind at ease to know that you are out in the village instead of at the arena like everyone else." Jiraiya could tell his sensei was being serious so he decided to relent.

"Fine then. I'll take up guard duty. I wish I could see the boy fight though."

"Would it make you feel any better if I recorded the fights for you to watch at a later date?"

"That'd be nice."

 **End Flashback**

"Gamaken, are you up for this?" Jiraiya asked his toad companion.

"Although I am very clumsy I will do my best to assist you." The modest toad answered back.

"Good. Give me a few minutes to myself I have to do something." Jiraiya jumped off the toad head and landed on a nearby building. He bit his thumb and performed another summoning. The toad he summoned this time was around human size. It had brown skin and a big red hat with a yellow bunny insignia on the front.

"Postal toad reporting for duty! What do you need delivered boss?"

"I need you to take something to the newest toad summoner, Naruto."

"Oh that blond kid? I've met him already. He summoned me on accident a few weeks ago."

"Good. That means you know his chakra."

"Yes sir. I'd know that kids crazy chakra signature anywhere."

"Then it should be easy for you to find him and bring him this." Jiraiya began patting his stomach. "It's time for you to come out now. Wake up." Jiraiya suddenly grew white as if he were sick. He vomited out a toad that didn't look very happy with him.

"What do you want Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya took a few moments to compose himself before speaking. "It's time for the boy to unlock his full power. The village is under attack and he may need it to survive. The postal toad will bring you to him."

"Oh praise the gods! I don't have to live in your filthy stomach anymore!"

The scroll toad jumped into the postal toads mouth and the two took off at an incredible speed. Once they were gone Jiraiya turned his attention back to Gamaken who was doing fairly well in his fight against the snakes.

"Don't worry Gamaken. I'm coming." Jiraiya was suddenly cut off from Gamaken by a group of sand and sound ninja who stood in his way.

"Do you really think you band of fools have a chance against me?" Another group of sand and sound ninja came from behind and boxed him in.

"Bring a hundred more men and you may actually stand a chance." Jiraiya arrogantly commented.

The group behind him motioned as if they were about to attack but they were suddenly cut off by the appearance of a squad of leaf ninja appearing between them and Jiraiya.

"It's been a long time Jiraiya." The leader of the group said.

"Ibiki, I haven't seen you since you got promoted to head of the torture division, and what's this? Is that little Anko? My you grew into quite a beauty."

"Go fuck yourself." Anko spat out.

"What did I do?"

"I'm not falling for your bullshit. I may be loose but I have enough self respect not to touch an old fart like you."

"I WAS JUST BEING POLITE! I WASN'T TRYING TO SWEET TALK YOU!"

"You're reputation precedes you Jiraiya. Might I suggest you two focus on the task at hand and yell at each other when the fighting is done?" Ibiki said to the two. They nodded and the enemies surrounding them attacked.

Around this time a group of Anbu appeared to try and break the barrier that was keeping the hokage cut off. They stood just outside the barrier

"This is impossible. This barrier jutsu was one designed by the second hokage himself. We can't break it." The leader of the group said to his subordinates.

"Is this what the Anbu has been reduced to? A bunch of quitters?" The anbu turned around and saw two teenage girls standing next to them.

"What are you two civilians doing here?"

"We aren't civilians." The two dispelled their transformation and stood in front of the Anbu.

"LADY TSUNADE!" The lead anbu got on his knees and bowed. The rest of them followed their leaders example.

"Don't bow to me. Just because I'm a sannin doesn't mean I'm an arrogant ass like Orochimaru or Jiraiya."

"Lady Tsunade may I ask what exactly you are doing here?" The lead anbu asked as he stood up.

"I was here to watch the fights but apparently I'm not the only sannin who had in interest in these chunin exams." Tsunade cracked her knuckles.

"You were right about one thing. That barrier was designed by the second hokage. It's not impossible to break though. If you disturb even one of the four ninja maintaining the barrier then the whole thing dispels."

"How are we supposed to do that when they are inside the barrier?"

"Simple. They're standing on the roof of a building. What do you think would happen if they suddenly didn't have a roof to stand on?"

"Take their footing out from under them and they'll be unable to maintain the barrier." The lead anbu clarified.

"Get some exploding tags and destroy the building's support beams." Yes ma'am. The anbu jumped away to set Tsunade's plan into action.

"Uh, lady Tsunade?"

"Yes Shizune?"

"Is destroying the building really necessary? Couldn't we just go inside the building and blow a hole through the ceiling under the barrier?"

"Yes, but then we wouldn't get to see a kick ass explosion now would we?"

Inside the barrier Orochimaru was done toying with the hokage.

"It's time for me to finish this."Orochimaru flashed through hand signs in preparation for a jutsu. A jutsu that the third knew all too well.

"No!" The third threw some kunai and performed the shadow shuriken jutsu hoping to stop Orochimaru from performing the forbidden jutsu he was preparing.

Meanwhile the fighting outside the barrier had spilled out into the center of the arena. The genin and their sensei's were fighting admirably against the combined sand and sound ninja. Yugito and her group were searching around for Naruto when Iruka saw one of his fellow teachers at the academy out of the corner of his eye.

"I think I just saw a friend of mine I'll be right back after I check on him." Iruka took off.

"BE CAREFUL!" Yugito yelled back obviously worried for her secret lover.

When Iruka turned the corner he was almost blindsided by a wave of shuriken coming toward him.

"Mizuki! It's me Iruka."

"I know!" MIzuki yelled as he brandished a kunai and attacked Iruka.

"Mizuki!? Why?" Iruka took out a kunai and blocked Mizuki.

"Why not? Orochimaru is going to destroy this village today. I'm just being smart and playing for the winning team."

"TRAITOR!" The two old friends began clashing kunai.

 **With Naruto**

Naruto was finally catching up with Kankuro and Gaara. They were in his sight and he was gaining fast.

 _"Damn it. That blond idiot is behind us."_ Kankuro thought.

"Gaara, I'm going to stay behind and stall this guy. You keep going a little farther ahead and then begin the transformation." Gaara didn't answer and just kept going. Kankuro turned around ready to face the blond hero only to be surprised when Naruto blew past him, not even giving him even a passing glance.

Kankuro turned to chase after him but he suddenly found himself unable to move.

"I caught one of them." Shikamaru said from his perch on a nearby tree branch.


	23. Chapter 23

ch. 23

Shikamaru had successfully captured Kankuro and him, Ino, and Hinata had begun their attempts to interrogate him.

"Why did you leave the arena? What's your part in the invasion plan? Come on, talk!" Ino yelled at the paralyzed enemy.

"Piss off blondie." Kankuro responded.

"Hinata, do me a favor and seal this guy's chakra network so he can't move. I'm getting tired of holding this jutsu." Shikamaru said.

Hinata nodded and performed the eight trigrams sixty-four palms on Kankuro. Shikamaru released his shadow jutsu and Kankuro fell on his back.

"Thanks Hinata." Shikamaru walked up to Kankuro and bent down to talk to him.

"You're going to tell us what we want to know. If you don't I'll let Ino go to town on you. That girl you beat in the preliminaries was her best friend. She's been wanting to get payback for what you did to her."

"Do your worst. Anything you do won't be as bad as what Gaara would do to me if I talk."

"Ino is a Yamanaka you know. She could just rip the information out of your mind. She's not very experienced in that technique though. There's no telling what kind of damage she could do to you if she messes up."

Kankuro looked as if he was weighing his options before he spoke again.

"Fine, I'll talk. You three are going to die soon anyway. The sand village was approached by the S-rank criminal Orochimaru. He's the leader of the sound ninja. He asked for our help in destroying the leaf village. We agreed of course."

"Did he pay you or are you doing this out of hate for our village?"

"Both. It's no secret the sand village has always been the poorest of the five great villages. Up until recently we've had enough to sustain ourselves but the lord of the land of wind has begun sending work to the leaf village instead of to us. Our economy was in shambles until Orochimaru came to us with enough money to keep our village in good shape for a generation."

"Okay. Why did you and the other two run off when the invasion started?"

"My job was to protect Gaara while he prepared the jutsu that would finish off your village. I have no idea why the blond idiot chased after us."

"Wait, so that cloud ninja isn't on your side?"

"Of course not. The only village stupid enough to accept a deal from Orochimaru would have been us. We were on the edge of collapse and desperate for any solution."

"You sound like you never wanted this to happen." Hinata interjected into the conversation.

"All I ever wanted was to be left in peace to build my puppets. My father forced me to be a ninja and then forced me to take part in this ridiculous invasion."

"Whether you wanted it or not it doesn't change the fact that it happened. I think that's enough info out of this guy. We'll tie him up and then go after the other two. If the cloud ninja proves to really be on our side then we'll attempt to join forces with him." Shikamaru barked out orders like a seasoned leader.

"He has a name." Hinata spoke up.

"What?"

"His name is Naruto. Would you like it if I called you lazy Nara instead of calling you Shikamaru?"

"Fine then. If Naruto proves to be on our side then we'll join forces with him. Happy now?"

"I'll be happy when this is all over." Hinata jumped away along with Ino and Shikamaru after they tied up Kankuro. Kankuro was left alone and unable to move.

 _"I guess I can't blame Temari for losing to that girl. That gentle fist stuff hurts."_

 **Back at the arena**

Orochimaru finished his hand signs and two coffins appeared. They blocked the shadow shuriken jutsu that the third had sent toward Orochimaru. A third coffin appeared but quickly disappeared.

"Oh, I guess my theory was correct. The third one didn't work."

"Orochimaru, the depths of your twisted mind never cease to amaze me. Going as far as reviving the dead to fight for you."

"Oh these aren't just any dead ninja. You should be thanking me. I'm giving you another chance to speak with your old teachers." The coffins opened up to reveal the first and the second hokage.

"NO!" the third hokage's yell was punctuated with a huge explosion that rocked the building. The whole structure began to collapse. Kimimaro and Bee stopped their fight and rushed to their respective partners. Bee grabbed the third and formed some of the eight tails tentacles around them as a shield. Kimimaro did the same for Orochimaru except his shield was made of bone.

When the explosion went off Tsunade and Shizune were watching from afar.

"What did I tell you Shizune? Kick ass explosion!"

"I hope the third didn't get hurt by that."

"The third can handle a simple little explosion. They don't call him the god of shinobi for nothing."

Where the building stood was now a giant dust cloud. As it slowly settled the forms of the third hokage and Bee could be made out. Tsunade, Shizune, and the anbu all rushed to their side.

"SENSEI!" Tsunade yelled to the third hokage.

"Tsunade!?" The old man was taken aback by the arrival of his third student.

"DAMN!" Killer Bee was taken aback for a completely different reason.

 ** _"GOD DAMN IT BEE! DROOL OVER THE WOMANS CHEST LATER!"_** The eight tails was not in the mood to deal with his partners raging libido.

 _"LOOK AT THOSE THINGS MAN! BIGGER THAN HER FREAKING HEAD!"_

 ** _"THE BONE GUY IS BACK!"_** Bee turned around just in time to block a sneak attack from Kimimaro.

"I'll handle this guy! the rest of you take care of Orochimaru and the other four!" Everyone nodded and went off to find Orochimaru. It didn't take them long.

"NO!" Orochimaru could be heard screaming not too far away. He was standing over the coffins he summoned earlier and they were destroyed. The bodies were missing and Orochimaru was seething with rage. Three of the four ninja that came with him appeared next to him.

"WHERE IS TAYUYA!?" He screamed.

"I saw her run off with a storage scroll in her hand. I think she used the buildings collapse as a distraction to steal the edo tensei's." The four armed man said to his lord.

"That worthless cow! I would have killed her years ago if it wasn't for her bloodline."

"OROCHIMARU!" Tsunade yelled as her and her group came into view.

"Tsunade. As if I didn't have enough to deal with. What are you doing here? You left this village in disgust years ago."

"I came back to see a friend. A young boy named Naruto. I have a question for you Orochimaru. When you took him did you do it simply because of his bloodline or did your animosity for his father play a role?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you people. I'll do whatever is necessary in my quest for power. Even the life of a child is a small price to pay in my eyes."

Tsunade put her hand over her stomach.

 **Flashback**

Tsunade was a little girl holding her little brother for the first time.

"Okay sweety. I need to feed your baby brother now." Tsunade reluctantly handed the beautiful baby back to her mother.

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to have a baby too."

 **Flashback end**

Tsunade's grip on her stomach tightened

 **Flashback**

Tsunade was standing above the dead body of her beloved baby brother. The tears streaming down her face. Jiraiya and Orochimaru watching from afar.

 **Flashback end**

"I won't stand for it." Tsunade told Orochimaru with disgust evident in her voice.

 **Flashback**

Tsunade was sitting on a bed in a hospital tent. She had collapsed on the battlefield and was waiting for the doctor to come tell her his diagnosis. He finally walked in with a somber look on his face.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"What's wrong with me? Will I be able to continue the fight."

"You'll be able to continue to fight but..."

"Just spit it out already!"

"You were pregnant. That's why you collapsed on the battlefield."

Tsunade was stunned. "Th-That can't be. I was always so careful."

"I don't know what to tell you. Our test came back positive you were definitely pregnant."

"...Were?"

"I'm so sorry."

 **Flashback end**

"People like you... People who hurt children... "

 **Flashback**

Tsunade stood over Naruto. He was laying in a hospital bed. His sister Yugito on the other side of the bed holding his hand.

"Thank you for saving him. I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to my little man."

"You don't need to thank me."

"Yes I do. You're one of the sannin of the leaf. You didn't have to do this for us."

"It is a doctors job to save lives regardless of what their nationality is." Tsunade's hand lightly touched the side of Naruto's face."

"You must be a proud mother. He's a fine boy."

"I'm not his mother, but yes I am proud of him. Most ninja wouldn't run into a burning building to save civilians unless it was part of a mission."

"Fewer still would throw their body over another when the building came crashing down on them. If you don't mind... would you tell me more about this boy and his life? I'm interested in the kind of boy who would so selflessly throw himself into danger."

"... I trust you. It all started twelve years ago when he was born in the leaf village."

 **Flashback end**

"PEOPLE WHO HURT CHILDREN ARE THE LOWEST FORM OF SCUM!" Tsunade came at Orochimaru with a speed he couldn't believe. He was smashed in the gut with an earth shattering punch. The force was so great that the ground under them began to crack. He was sent flying across the ruins of the destroyed building with Tsunade following after him.

Orochimaru's three subordinates were then surrounded by the third hokage, Shizune, and the squad of anbu.

"LIGHT EM UP!" The third hokage yelled. The three were bombarded with an assortment of elemental jutsu from the hokage and the anbu. Shizune meanwhile covered the three in a poisonous cloud. When the smoke cleared the three were gone. Only a small hole in the ground was left behind.

"Earth style." The hokage commented.

"We aren't scared of you." The group turned around and came face to face with the three again.

"We don't give a damn how strong you used to be. You're an old man now and it's time for you to do what all old men do and die." The two headed man said.

"It's time boys. Full power cursed seals."

 **With Iruka**

Iruka and Mizuki were clashing their kunai back and forth when the explosion that destroyed the building rocked the arena causing the two to lose their fell backwards and landed against the wall with a window. Iruka took the opportunity to tackle Mizuki. The two fell through the second story window. Mizuki hit the ground first cushioning the fall for Iruka. Iruka stood up and looked at the body of the deceased man he thought of as a friend.

"Mizuki, what happened to you?" He thought solemnly as he remembered their past together and the long friendship they shared.

 **With Naruto**

Naruto was finally closing in on Gaara. Gaara was sitting in a meditative position in a clear field. He was chanting some sort of incantation and the sand was coming out of his gourd and surrounding him in a sphere. Before the sphere closed Naruto dropped down from the trees. He rushed at Gaara hoping to catch him before he finished whatever he was doing but he was too late. The sphere closed itself off. Naruto punched the sphere hoping it would break but it was much too hard even for Naruto. He backed off to think of a plan when he received some company. He turned around just in time to see the arrival of Ino, Shikamaru, and Hinata.

 **With Jiraiya**

"How are you holding up Gamaken?" Jiraiya casually asked his partner as he held up a sound ninja by the throat and choked the life out of him.

"Although I am clumsy I am still performing adequately in my fight against the snakes."

"Good to hear it. This is why I like you more than old Bunta. You have such a nicer demeanor than that sour puss."

"Please do not talk lightly of the chieftain. He is great. I am nothing compared to his excellence."

"We still need to work on your confidence."

Ibiki and Anko were also doing well in their fight against the invaders. They were standing back to back protecting each other.

"Let's see, one, two, three, four, five left." Ibiki counted off.

"Five is nothing. I've been known to handle ten men at a time." Anko boasted loudly.

"... We're talking about fighting right?" Ibiki questioned as he blocked a punch from an enemy and stabbed him through the gut.

"Does it really matter?" Anko responded while plucking a kunai coming toward her out of the air and tossing it back at the assailant. It imbedded itself through his head right in between his eyes.

"You know I think of you as a daughter. Although I respect your choice of lifestyle I would like to see you settle down with one man and start a nice family one day." Ibiki ducked a kunai slash from an approaching enemy and slashed up his torso.

"I'm not saying that'll never happen but for now I like my life just the way it is. Maybe in a few years when I'm a little older I'll think about it." Anko performed a handstand and grabbed one of the enemies heads with her legs. She squeezed until his neck snapped and let his body lifelessly fall.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Ibiki grabbed the last invader by the throat and picked him up. He plunged a kunai threw his forehead and then threw him off the building they were fighting on.

"That should be it for this area. Let's move on." As soon as Ibiki finished his sentence another squad of invaders appeared before them.

"You would think these stupid asshole wouldn't keep targeting such a tough pair as us." Anko said slightly annoyed.

"They must figure we're an easier target than lord Jiraiya."

"Ha, Jiraiya isn't so tough. I bet I could kill him."

"You can't even beat me and I'm maybe half as strong as Jiraiya on a good day."

"Yeah, well I have tools that Jiraiya is powerless against. Big tits, a fat ass, and a tight cunt."

"I can't argue with that."

 **With Yugito**

Yugito and the her students had finally arrived at the center of the arena to look for Naruto. She looked around but couldn't find him anywhere. She noticed that the building Bee was on was destroyed and wanted to go see if he was okay.

"Sensei, you can leave us here to look for Naruto. You can go check on lord Bee." Karui said.

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"You didn't train us for nothing. Go ahead."

Yugito nodded and ran off toward the destroyed building. Karui and Omoi unsheathed their swords and went off to look for their lost friend.

 **Outside the village**

The lone female of the group Orochimaru had brought with him was running away at top speed.

 _"I have to get back to him."_ Were her only thoughts as she ran. She clutched a small storage scroll in her hands as she fled.

"TAYUYA!" A voice could be heard behind her. She recognized the voice instantly and turned to see him. She wasted no time in jumping into the mysterious individuals arms.

"I thought Orochimaru didn't want you on this mission?" She asked the tall red-haired teenager.

"Last minute change of plan. He asked me to sneak into the arena and extract the last Uchiha. Since you're running I assume you were able to retrieve the hokage's?"

"Of course baby. Just like you told me."

"Good. This was our best chance to be rid of that old snake. How did you manage to sneak them from him?"

"We created a barrier on top of a building to isolate him and Kimimaro with the hokage and some asshole from the cloud village. Someone blew up the building and in the confusion I stole them and took off."

"Good girl. My plan is coming along nicely."

Tayuya snuggled up closer to the boy's chest. His wardrobe consisted of an open blue jacket with a red spiral on the back and black ninja pants with multiple pouches and pockets filled with assorted weaponry.

"Let's go. Karin is waiting for us at the nearest hide out."

"I'll never understand why you waste your time with that weakling."

"She's one of the last Uzumaki like us. We need her if we're going to rebuild our clan."

"Tell me you love me more."

"I love you more baby."

"Tell me I'm prettier than Karin."

"You're prettier than Karin."

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you baby."

The two began kissing passionately. Their hands were lustful as they squeezed and groped each other. Tayuya began playing with the boy's spiky hair. The boy returned the favor by pulling on Tayuya's long red hair as well. They continued like this for awhile before the boy broke away.

"We'll finish this later. Let's go."


	24. Chapter 24

ch. 24

"You shouldn't have followed me. This is between me and him." Naruto told the three as they appeared on the scene.

"This guy is part of the plan to destroy our village. This is a lot bigger than whatever grudge you hold against him." Shikamaru retorted.

"Naruto, we can help you. You don't have to do this alone." Hinata tried to reason with him.

"It's just that... I'm the only one who stands a chance against this guy. Normal people like you would only get in the way."

"Arrogant motherfu" Ino started before she was cut off by Hinata.

"Who do you think you're calling normal? All three of us are heirs to prestigious clans. We were among the top rookies at the academy and we are the first batch of year one genin to take the chunin exams in years." Hinata walked up and got face to face with Naruto.

"Don't think just because you beat the last Uchiha that you're invincible. I could have beat him too if I used sex appeal to distract him like you did."

Hinata got even further in Naruto's face and pressed her chest and nose to his.

"I've been training until I dropped every single day for the past month. I've mastered my clans sacred techniques at a record pace and even managed to learn how to apply my elemental affinity all at the same time so don't you dare ever call me normal."

Ino and Shikamaru couldn't believe the show of confidence and authority by Hinata. They were stunned beyond words. Naruto on the other hand was stunned for a different reason.

 _"So close... She smells so good... Her soft boobs pressed against my chest... about to lose control... Kurama, help me out here."_ Kurama did as instructed by feeding Naruto a mental image of the Raikage and Bee wearing speedos in a wrestling match.

 _"Thanks. A few more seconds and my nose would have been like a fountain of blood."_

 ** _"Don't mention it."_**

Hinata backed off and stared at Naruto with a fire in her eyes.

"You're right Hinata. I'm sorry for calling you normal. If you guys want to help then the more the merrier."

"I assume Gaara is inside that giant ball of sand?" Shikamaru asked when him and Ino recovered from their shock at Hinata's words.

"Yeah. I can't break through it though." Naruto made a point to punch the sphere as hard as he could to show off it's durability.

"Not even a scratch."

"Hinata, use your byakugan to see what he's doing in there." Shikamaru ordered.

Hinata did as instructed.

"He look's like he's binding sand to his body. It's covering his right arm and it's working its way to his left."

 ** _"Just as I thought. Gaara is trying to transform into the Shukaku. We need to break through that sphere before the transformation is complete."_**

"We need to bust through that sphere quick. We can't let him finish whatever he's doing." Naruto told the team.

"Ino, can you get inside that sphere and possess Gaara?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. That sand sphere is too dense. It might as well be a brick wall."

Shikamaru sat down and put his hands together in a weird way.

"What's he doing?" Naruto asked.

"He does that when he's trying to think." Ino answered.

Shikamaru stood back up only a few seconds after he sat down.

"If I'm going to think of a way to break through that sphere I need to know everyone's capabilities. I know Ino and Hinata well enough but I don't know much about you. What is the strongest jutsu you know?" He asked Naruto.

"Well... There was this one technique I was trying to learn but... I never mastered it."

"What is this technique called?"

"The rasengan."

 **At the arena**

Bee and Kimimaro were staring each other down.

"What are you fighting for? Why would a man like you willingly follow a criminal like Orochimaru?" Bee asked.

"When my clan was annihilated I had nothing. Orochimaru took me in. He gave me a purpose again. I swore to him that I would repay his kindness by helping him achieve his goals."

"Even if those goals are evil?"

"Evil is a matter of perspective. I could make an argument that the leaf village is evil. Not just the leaf village. Every ninja village."

"I'll admit, the current village system is flawed but to compare us to what Orochimaru has done is just insane."

"Perhaps I am insane. It really doesn't matter anymore. I've made my decision and so have you. Now, let's end this." Kimimaro took off his robe. His skin suddenly turning a dark shade of grey and he sprouted a large tail.

"Cursed seal, full power." Kimimaro explained when his transformation was complete.

"You aren't the only one with a dark power." Bee said as his body became shrouded in a red cloak. He sprouted eight tails made of pure chakra and he grew two horns from his head.

 ** _"You know I hate it when you refer to me as a dark power Bee."_**

 _"But it sounds so bad ass though."_

 ** _"I don't care."_**

 _"Fine then... Big baby."_

The two ran at each other and locked hands. They began testing each others power and it was clear Bee had a significant advantage in that regard. Kimimaro was forced to back away.

 _"It seems he has the advantage in raw power."_ Kimimaro disappeared and appeared again behind Bee ready to strike him down. Kimimaro was still faster than Bee but he didn't take into account the eight tails Bee had sprouted. One of them grabbed his arm and lifted him up before slamming him into the ground. Kimimaro struggled to get back to his feet as Bee walked toward the crater Kimimaro was now standing in.

"You put up a good fight. Surrender now and I promise not to end your life."

"I'm going to die one way or another." Kimimaro began forming a spear of bone around his arm. "If I could have one last request it would be to die on the battlefield."

"Then I'll grant that request."

The two rushed at each other with everything they had. Kimimaro's bone spear clashed with Bee's chakra cloaked fist. It was over in an instant. Bee's demonic powers sliced through Kimimaro's spear and took Kimimaro's arm off in the process. Bee caught Kimimaro's body as he fell backwards and gently laid his body on the ground.

"Th-Thank you. M-My people were a bl-bloodthirsty clan. As much as I hated them... I can't help but long for a warrior's death as they did."

"I'm glad I could grant your last request..."

"I have something to tell you... Consider it a thank you for granting my last request... Orochimaru told me of a group he was once affiliated with... You... should... be wary of..." Kimimaro died there before he was able to finish.

"Rest in peace." Bee solemnly said to the fallen warrior.

 **With the hokage and company**

The three subordinates of Orochimaru had transformed similar to Kimimaro. Their skin turned a dark shade of gray and their power increased exponentially.

"Shizune, you take care of the one with four arms. You anbu take care of the big one. I shall handle the two headed one." The hokage ordered.

"Yes sir." The others answered back.

"Handle us? We were hand picked by Orochimaru. A rag tag group lead by some old bastard isn't enough to stop" The leader didn't finish his sentence because both of his heads went flying. One of the heads landed in the arms of Shizune who began freaking out and tossed the head on the ground. The other two didn't last long either. They were quickly decapitated by a very angry Yugito.

"What a woman." One of the anbu said aloud in shock.

"Where is lord Bee?" Yugito asked the group.

"Right here." Bee said as he appeared on the scene.

"Four down. Only one to go." The hokage said.

 **With Tsunade**

Orochimaru had recovered from the initial attack from Tsunade and was now fighting back with ferocity, his sword giving him a slight advantage against the unarmed Tsunade. Tsunade had no choice but to keep backing away until she was forced up against a large chunk of debris.

"You may be a sannin but unlike me you have a weakness." The smug snake arrogantly proclaimed. He bit his thumb to draw blood and Tsunade froze up.

"Still hemophobic I see." Orochimaru rushed at Tsunade intending to end it all with one strike.

 **Flashback**

Tsunade and Shizune were passing through a city in lightning country when they happened on a crowd of people standing around what looked to be a recently burned building. When they got closer to investigate they saw Yugito cradling the bloody and broken body of Naruto. Tsunade was reminded of herself when she saw the body of her beloved baby brother. She rushed to their side to help.

 **Flashback end**

Mere seconds before Orochimaru's sword impaled itself through Tsunade's chest, Tsunade suddenly snapped back to attention and stopped the blade by catching it in between her hands.

"You should have been keeping tabs on me Orochimaru. I got over my hemophobia thanks to Naruto."

"God damn that boy!" Orochimaru screamed before he was sent flying by a kick to his face from the furious Yugito.

Orochimaru lost his grip on his sword and Tsunade placed it on the ground before shattering the blade with one of her chakra enhanced punches.

Yugito slowly walked up to Orochimaru. Her eyes burning with anger and her body being consumed by a demonic aura.

"I've been waiting for this day. The day I could finally take all the pain and suffering you inflicted on him and throw it back at you ten fold." Yugito sprouted two chakra tails.

"TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DIE SNAKE!"

 **With Naruto**

Naruto stood facing the sphere of sand protecting Gaara.

"You can do it Naruto. I believe in you." Hinata shouted encouragement.

 _"First step is rotation."_ Naruto began using his two hands to spin a ball of chakra in his palm.

 _"Second step is power."_ Naruto pumped more chakra into the ball and it became thicker.

 _"Third step is control."_ Naruto slammed the ball into the sand sphere but it wasn't strong enough to break it.

"Damn it! Why can't I master this jutsu!?" Hinata walked up and put her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"This jutsu is like trying to look in two different directions at the same time." He said aloud. Suddenly Naruto's head snapped upwards. He might as well have had a light bulb appear above his head.

"MY BRAIN JUST WORKED FOR ONCE!"


	25. Chapter 25

ch. 25

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto yelled. A clone appeared beside him and the two immediately went to work on another rasengan. The clone was focused on forming the attack while the real Naruto focused on controlling it.

"RASENGAN!" Naruto slammed the jutsu into the sphere of sand and just like when Jiraiya performed the technique it was like a drill as it slowly dug its way through the sphere. When it finally got all the way through and reached Gaara it launched him out of the dissolving sphere. Gaara had managed to bind sand to his arm and half of his face giving him the appearance of a monster.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!" Gaara screamed as he stood back up.

Shikamaru jumped in front of Naruto while flashing through hand signs.

"Shadow possession jutsu!" His shadow reached out and grabbed hold of Gaara. Gaara was frozen in place but he was far from contained. The sand remaining in his gourd shot out and went straight for Shikamaru. Hinata managed to get in front of everyone and deflect the attack with the rotation.

"Ino!" Shikamaru yelled as he struggled to contain Gaara.

"Mind transfer jutsu!"

"WAIT DON'T DO THAT!" Naruto yelled, but it was too late. Ino was now in Gaara's mind.

 **"Oh, a pretty young meat sack has graced me with her presence."**

Ino was dumbfounded at the monster she found within the mind of Gaara.

"Wh-What the hell are you?"

 **"My name is Shukaku, but you can call me hungry."** Shukaku's arm shot out to try and grab Ino but she was able to release the jutsu before he was able to grab her.

 **"NO!"** Shukaku roared, enraged that he missed his first opportunity for a meal in years.

Ino's soul returned to her body and she was scared out of her wits.

"M-M-Monster..."

"No! Not a monster! A DEMON!" Gaara screamed before he broke free of the shadow possession. The four were instantly surrounded by sand that was about to overtake them. Before the sand could close in on them they were suddenly picked up and carried away by the postal toad who arrived just in time.

"YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME!" Gaara began raging and destroying all the trees near him hoping to find their hiding spot.

"Thanks for the save postal toad." Naruto said to his friend after he put the four down behind some trees away from Gaara.

"Don't mention it. I'm always ready to help. That's my motto. Anyway I'm here because Jiraiya wanted me to bring you something." The toad opened his mouth wide and another toad hopped out of his mouth.

"Blond hair, blue eyes, and a goofy face. Yep, you're his son alright." The toads stomach elongated and unravelled revealing a scroll with a complex seal array covering it.

"Place your hand in the center of the seal array and I shall bestow upon you the key to unleashing your full power."

"Wait a minute. Can someone please explain what the hell just happened? Why did a giant talking frog just save us and whats this about unleashing your full power?" Ino asked seriously irritated.

"Well first of all these are toads, not frogs. Secondly, all you need to know is that my parents left me something good and I need this key to get to it." Naruto explained. He placed his hands over the seal array and a blue light shined from it. It enveloped his hand and when Naruto pulled away his finger tips were glowing with a pale blue light.

"So this is the key... How do I use it?"

Everyone just looked at him. The toad finally spoke up.

"I'm honestly amazed this kid can dress himself. What you now have is a key. How do you use keys?"

"Put them in the lock and turn them."

"EXACTLY!"

"So I just put my hand over the seal and turn it?"

"Yes. I did my job, I'm heading home. Postal toad, you're welcome to join me for drinks if you like."

"If my services are no longer required here I will gladly join you my friend."

"Go on. You two have done enough today." And with that the two toads teleported back to their home.

"... Just who are you exactly?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto looked at him confused.

"You beat Sasuke, you beat Lee and now all this troublesome stuff happens and you're the only one who can beat Gaara. Just who the hell are you?"

"I'm..."

"He's the hero Naruto Uzumaki." Hinata said bringing all the attention to her. "He's going to beat Gaara and save us all." She smiled at Naruto who smiled back. They stared into each others eyes for a few seconds before their attention was brought back to the raging demon that was nearing their location. They could hear the sounds of dozens of trees crashing into the ground as Gaara continued to rampage.

 **"** ** _Naruto, before he finds us you must open the seal. DO IT NOW!"_** Naruto entered his mindscape to do just that. He held up his hand and it shined with the same pale blue light from before. Naruto floated up to the seal and tore the paper off that was covering the keyhole to Kurama's cage. Before he could place his hand over it he felt a presence behind him.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think I was looking at my self." Naruto spun around and found himself face to face with his father.

"Don't just float up there. Come here and give your father a hu" Naruto crashed down on his father.

"I was going to say hug, not full body tackle." The fourth said as he stood up.

"Sorry about that dad. So I guess this is the same deal as what happened with mom?"

"Yes. I poured my chakra into your seal so I could restore it in the event that it was going to break or if the nine tails was trying to trick you into setting him free."

 **"Motherfucker, don't pretend you don't know my name!"** Kurama roared from the inside of his cage.

"Ah, Kurama your as easy to tease as always. It seems you retained many of Kushina's personality quirks."

 **"And you retained your ability to piss me off. I don't know if you realized but we're in a bit of a pickle out there and Naruto needs my full power in order to get through this. Now would you kindly let him open that god forsaken seal and release me?"**

"Son... I hope you know what you're doing. Kurama isn't exactly known for cooperating with his hosts. He was constantly trying to drive your mother mad with rage. He even sent her into such a rage that she almost killed me once."

 **"Don't listen to him Naruto! I never had that much control over Kushina. If she ever tried to kill your father it was because he did something perverted or stupid."**

"LIES! MY WONDERFUL WIFE WOULD NEVER TRY TO KILL ME OF HER OWN FREE WILL! SHE LOVED ME WITH ALL HER HEART"

 **"SHE LOVED YOU ENOUGH TO FAKE AN ORGASM EVERY TIME YOU HAD SEX!"**

"MORE LIES! I WAS THE GREATEST LOVER IN THE WORLD!"

"THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER!" Naruto screamed. The last thing he wanted to hear about was his parents sex life. Seeing that their little argument had gone too far the fourth and Kurama's heads fell down in shame.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that son." Naruto ignored him and floated back up to the seal. He placed his hand on the keyhole and turned. The cage swung open sending Naruto flying. His father leapt up and caught him. There was a blood red mist surrounding them and the silhouette of Kurama could be seen through the mist coming toward them.

 **"FOOLS! NOW THAT I AM FREE THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP ME FROM ESCAPING THIS FEEBLE VESSEL AND EXACTING MY VENGEANCE UPON THE WORLD! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**

"YOU ARE NOT FUNNY!" Both Naruto and his father yelled at the fox. The mist faded and Kurama was sitting down with a big smile on his face.

 **"I couldn't resist."** The fox stuck out his tongue at the pair.

 **"Now lets go kick some sandy ass!"** Kurama gave Naruto a thumbs up. Naruto smiled and returned it.

"Naruto, I wish I could stay longer but I'm no longer needed here. I trust you can handle anything that happens from this point." The father and son embraced each other.

"I have only this piece of wisdom for you. I've been watching you and seen all the trials and hardships you've had to go through. I know that you've been living in the cloud village and that some people have been trying to convince you to go back to the leaf. Whatever decision you make just remember this. Blind patriotism has been the cause of much suffering in this world. Whichever side you choose to take I only ask that it is the side that you truly believe is right."

"I'll keep that in mind papa." The fourth hokage faded away leaving Naruto and Kurama in his mind alone. Naruto turned to his partner with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Let's rock and roll!"

Back in the real world only a few seconds had passed. Naruto's eyes flew open and he took off toward Gaara.

"YOU THREE STAY HERE! I GOT THIS!" He yelled back to the three.

"Screw that! I'm not gonna leave the fate of my village in some blond jackass's hands." Ino ran after him, dragging Shikamaru by the collar. Hinata had a small giggle before following them.

Naruto found Gaara in a now destroyed part of the forest. Gaara tore it apart looking for the escaped victims. Gaara was now almost fully covered with sand. Only his feet were still normal. He looked like a miniature Shukaku. The two stared each other down for a few seconds before charging directly at each other.

Hinata and the others were watching from the tree tops as the two were about to clash.

"Is this guy insane?" Ino asked dumbfounded that Naruto would just charge at such a monster.

 ** _"RAMMING SPEED!"_** Kurama yelled before pumping his full power into Naruto. Naruto's body was covered in a golden almost flame like aura as he crashed into Gaara. He tackled Gaara up against a nearby tree and began pummeling him with a lightning fast barrage of deadly punches. It didn't take long for the tree to crack under the pressure. With one last punch Naruto sent Gaara flying through the tree.

"It's over Gaara."

"N-Nothing is over." Gaara stood up.

"I will kill everyone." Sand started enveloping Gaara. It quickly turned into a huge sand storm that blew away Naruto. The sand storm quickly took over a large area of the forest. When it finally died down Gaara had completed his full demon transformation. It was no longer Gaara that Naruto had to fight but the shukaku itself.

"STARTING WITH THIS PATHETIC VILLAGE!" Gaara yelled from his spot in the forehead of the Shukaku. He put his hands in a seal and his body began to slump as if he was asleep. The eyes of the Shukaku lit up and Naruto could feel his chakra spike.

 **"FREEDOM!"** The shukaku yelled. He turned his attention away from Naruto and began making his way toward the village.

 **"I'm going to turn the leaf village into my own personal all you can eat buffet."**

 _"NO! KURAMA, WHAT DO WE DO NOW!?"_

 ** _"I've got a plan. Create a shadow clone and let me have full control of it."_** Naruto did as instructed. The Kurama controlled shadow clone wobbled around for a few seconds before finding his footing.

 **"How you humans stand on only two legs I'll never understand."**

"Whats the plan?"

 **"We've only just unleashed our full power so you don't know how to transform into me yet, but thanks to you knowing the shadow clone jutsu I can just do it myself."**

"So we go toe to toe with him in demon form?"

 **"I go toe to toe with him. You wait for my signal then jump onto him and wake up Gaara. Gaara's seal must only allow Shukaku to take control when he is asleep. That's why he put himself to sleep with a genjutsu. If you wake him up then the shock should be enough to cancel the transformation."**

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

 **"TRANSFORM!"** Kurama yelled.

Shukaku felt the spike in power and turned around. He found himself face to claw with Kurama who kicked him in the head before back flipping off his face and landing on all fours.

"CAN YOU WARN ME BEFORE YOU START DOING FLIPS!" Naruto yelled from Kurama's forehead.

 **"Sorry. I got a little too zealous."**

 **"KURAMA! YOU'VE GOTTEN IN MY WAY FOR THE LAST TIME!"** Shukaku jumped into the air and prepared to body slam Kurama.

 **"Telegraphing his attacks like a novice."** Kurama jumped into the air and performed a spinning uppercut to Shukaku.

 **"SHORYUKEN!"** Kurama yelled to punctuate his attack. Shukaku went flying and landed on his back hard, flattening a huge chunk of forest.

"What the hell is a shoryuken?" Naruto asked.

 **"When I was in your mother I saw this guy in an underground street fighting tournament win with a spinning uppercut like that. I've always wanted to try it since that day."**

"What the hell was my mother doing at a street fighting tournament?"

 **"She needed money so she took a job as the ring girl. She wore a really skimpy bikini and walked around the ring with a number card so everyone would know what round it was."**

"Don't bullshit me fox!"

 **"I'm just joking. She was there to find Jiraiya. The idiot got drunk and needed someone to take him home and your father was on a mission."**

"Of course..."

While the two were talking Shukaku got up and charged at the two again. Kurama turned his attention back to him and drop kicked Shukaku in the face. Shukaku was sent flying again and Kurama looked down on Shukaku with disappointment.

 **"Still the same Shukaku. You get so mad that you lose all sense of strategy and discipline."**

 **"SHUT UP!"** Shukaku began forming a black ball of chakra in front of his mouth but Kurama was in front of him instantly and grabbed Shukaku by the face stopping the technique.

 **"Wake up the boy before Shukaku makes an even bigger fool of himself."**

Naruto jumped over to Shukaku's forehead where Gaara was and rushed at him. Tentacles of sand tried to stop Naruto but he was much too fast for them to catch him. He made it to Gaara and delivered a skull crushing headbutt to Gaara that woke him from his self induced slumber.

 **"NO!"** Shukaku collapsed into a huge pile up of sand. Gaara was laying in the middle of the pile with Naruto not too far away. Naruto stood up and began walking slowly over to Gaara.

 **"Do what you have to do Naruto."** Kurama shrunk down so that he was human sized and stood nearby Naruto. Naruto kept walking until he was right over Gaara. He got on his knees and placed a Kunai right above Gaara's throat. It hovered there for a few seconds as Naruto had a mental war with himself over what he should do.

"Do it." A familiar voice said from not too far away.

Naruto looked up and saw the same bandaged old man from before.

"Finish him or else he will come back to seek vengeance upon you."

Naruto stared down at the face of Gaara. Gaara looked at Naruto with eyes not of hate like before but eyes filled with sadness.

"I... just can't."

"Predictable. Like your parents you lack the will to do all that is necessary."

Naruto looked at the old man with anger in his eyes.

"My offer still stands. Come with me and I shall make you the greatest ninja to have ever lived. You'll have your own mansion, as much money as you could ever hope for, and I can even arrange it so you can have the girl you desire. All I ask is that you put on this headband."

Danzo held up a leaf village headband.

"And toss aside the headband you wear now."

Naruto thought back to his fathers words. He stood up and began slowly walking toward the old man. He untied his headband and let it dangle down to the ground before letting go of it. His hand reached for the leaf headband. Danzo smiled.

 _"I win. I always win."_ He arrogantly thought.

Naruto slapped the headband out of Danzo's hand.

"Psyche. Had you going there didn't I jackass?" Naruto said with a smile on his face. He turned around and walked back to pick up and put on his own headband.

Danzo seriously considered just murdering Naruto right then and there but the three genin who followed Naruto from the arena were still around. He couldn't risk them seeing. All three of them were clan heirs and much too valuable to dispose of if they witnessed his crime.

Danzo finally just decided to retreat.

 _"That boy and his power will belong to me soon enough."_

Naruto walked back up to Gaara.

"You... I'm not going to kill you."

"Why?"

"Because I refuse to take another's life. Especially when that person has such potential to do good."

"Me? Good?"

"You saw what me and Kurama could do. You and Shukaku could be just like us if you stop your senseless killing."

Kurama walked up to the two.

 **"I told you this boy was different Shukaku. Hopefully I beat some sense into you."** Kurama said before dispelling the shadow clone he was controlling.

 ** _"I'm going to sleep. Put Gaara under a capture seal and take him to the proper authorities. You can handle that right?"_**

 _"Sure thing. You go on and rest."_

 ** _"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"_**

 _"That was fast."_

Naruto put the capture seal on Gaara right as Hinata and the others arrived. Hinata was smiling but the other two were clearly wary of getting close to Naruto.

"I knew you could do it." She said to Naruto. She started walking toward him but Ino grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Hinata you know what that thing he summoned was right?"

"The nine tailed fox."

"This guy just summoned the monster that attacked our village thirteen years ago and you aren't the least bit suspicious about it?"

"He just used the nine tails to save our village. Why would he have done that when he could have just joined the other monster? He's obviously good and you two fools are too scared to admit it." She slapped Ino's hand away and walked up to Naruto.

"I don't quite understand what just happened but I understand one thing. Naruto is a hero and he deserves a hero's reward." Hinata walked up to Naruto and hugged him close. Naruto's arms snaked around Hinata's waist and the two stood like that for a few seconds.

 _"When I'm this close to Naruto I feel... safe."_

 _"When I'm this close to Hinata I feel... aroused."_

"You're poking into my leg again." She whispered into his ear.

"Give me a few more seconds to get it under control and then break the hug." He whispered back. They broke the hug after about ten seconds. Naruto picked up the incapacitated Gaara and the four of them began their trip back to the village.

 _"Shukaku... Do you want to try... being good?"_ Gaara asked his partner.

Shukaku was silent for awhile before responding.

 ** _"If it means keeping Kurama off my back, I'll play nice for awhile."_**

 **Back at the Arena**

Orochimaru was on his last legs. Yugito was much too powerful for him. He exhausted all of his chakra fighting her and now she had him backed against a wall with Tsunade, Shizune, the third, Killer Bee, and the anbu squad.

"It's over Orochimaru. Your invasion has failed." The third said to his disgraced student.

"Nothing is over... You may win this day but soon I'll be back. I'll kill every single one of you. Consider it a promise." Orochimaru arrogantly proclaimed before being eviscerated by a shadow shuriken jutsu by the third. Orochimaru slumped against the wall.

"I... am... immortal..." he proclaimed before Yugito slammed her demonic chakra claw into Orochimaru setting him ablaze in blue fire. Soon the only thing left was a smoldering pile of ash.

"It's over. He's dead." Tsunade said.

Yugito let her chakra cloak subside and walked away to look for her little brother. Everyone left with her. When everyone was out of sight. a small white snake crawled out of the ashes it began slithering away but was stopped by a cloaked anbu who picked it up.

"You must have been desperate if you resorted to that jutsu Orochimaru." The anbu took off his mask to reveal Kabuto.

"You'll be stuck in that form for awhile." Kabuto placed the small snake into a jar he was carrying."

"You've been good to me Orochimaru, so I propose a deal. If you help me achieve my goal I'll help you return to human form. Do we have a deal?"

The small white snake nodded it's head.

"Good. Now, tell me where to find the white snake sage."


	26. Chapter 26

ch. 26

The group found their way back to the village without incident. By the time they reached the main gate the invasion was over and the sand and sound forces had retreated. They were greeted at the main gate by a group of leaf ninja who took Gaara. Gaara was surprisingly cooperative. He left with them with no fight. The other four headed back to the arena.

"I hope my baby sister Hanabi is alright. She was there at the arena." Hinata said.

"If she's half as tough as you I'm sure she's fine." Naruto said trying to comfort her.

"Well, she's actually stronger than me..."

"Oh don't be so modest. You're super str" Naruto didn't get to finish his sentence before two little feet came crashing into his face. He went flying but he managed to flip and land on his feet.

"HANABI!?" Hinata yelled. The last thing she expected was her baby sister coming out of nowhere and drop kicking her crush in the face.

"GET OUT OF OUR VILLAGE INVADER!" The young Hyuga yelled at Naruto.

"INVADER!? I JUST BUSTED MY BUTT SAVING YOUR VILLAGE FROM A CRAZY MONSTER!" Naruto yelled back at the little girl.

Hinata stepped in between the two.

"Hanabi, the only countries who were invading us were the sand and the sound. The cloud village had nothing to do with this."

"Listen to your big sister you brat!" Naruto said to Hanabi.

"Don't call me a brat you big goofy looking idiot!" Hanabi retorted

"DON'T THINK I'M NOT ABOVE PUTTING A LITTLE BRAT IN THEIR PLACE!" Naruto screamed at the little girl.

"TRY IT AND I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" Hanabi screamed back.

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. She walked up to Hanabi and slapped her in the face.

"Stop it Hanabi!"

"S-Sis?" Hinata had never struck Hanabi outside of a training session. Hanabi was dumbstruck.

"That a girl Hinata. Put that brat in her place." Naruto said as he walked over to the two. He was about to pat Hinata on the back when she whipped around and grabbed hold of Naruto's ear in a death grip.

"Don't you dare ever threaten to touch my sister ever again. The only person that's going to discipline her is me."

"AH, I'M SORRY! PLEASE JUST LET GO OF MY EAR!" Hinata let him go and Naruto fell to his knees holding his red ear.

"I'm going to lose my ear if people keep abusing it like this." Hinata ignored him and turned back to her sister.

"What are you doing here Hanabi? Why aren't you with father?"

"When the invasion started father rounded up all the hyugas at the arena and we went home. I snuck off to look for you."

"Hanabi, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been hurt or worse."

"I know but... I was worried about you." Hanabi hugged her sister around the waist. Hinata returned the hug.

"Hanabi..." Hinata broke the hug and bent down to kiss her sister on the forehead.

"Let's go home." Hinata took her sisters hand and turned to the rest of the group.

"I'm sorry guys. I have to take Hanabi home."

"Don't worry about it. We'll tell your team where you are when we get to the arena." Ino told her friend.

"Thank you. Good bye." Hinata walked off with her sister and the rest of them continued to the arena, Naruto holding his ear the whole way.

 ** _"Even girls who like you manhandle you like a bitch. God you're pathetic."_**

 _"Shut up and go back to sleep, stupid fox."_

When they finally got to the arena Ino and Shikamaru ran up to their sensei while Naruto was grabbed by his sister in a hug. She rained kisses down on his cheeks and forehead making his face go red with embarrassment.

"AH SIS! YOU'RE EMBARRASING ME AGAIN!"

"She's just showing you how much she loves you. I used to be the same way with my little brother." Naruto recognized the voice instantly. Yugito let Naruto go and he saw Tsunade walking up to the two. Naruto's face lit up with happiness and he ran toward Tsunade with his arms stretched out to hug her.

"BOOB LADY!" He screamed as he approached Tsunade. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the vein in Tsunade's forehead begin to throb and her fist coming down on his head.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

 **With Hinata**

Hinata arrived at the Hyuga compound just in time to see a squad of Hyuga all clad in ninja gear storm out of the gate. They turned and saw the girls before dropping down to their knees.

"Lady Hinata, Lady Hanabi. We were just about to go searching for the two of you. You're father has been sick with worry. Please come with me and I will bring you to him." The leader of the group said.

The two girls nodded and followed him to the garden. Their father was sitting on a bench with his hands covering his face. Hinata noticed a stain on his robe.

 _"Was father... crying?"_

"Lord Hiashi, we have found them." Hiashi looked up and at the sight of his daughters he bolted up from his seat and grabbed the two in a loving hug.

"I feared the worst." Hiashi held his daughters close for what felt like an eternity. When he finally let them go he looked at Hanabi with his usual stone faced demeanor.

"Hanabi, for the leaving the compound during such a dangerous time I am confining you to your quarters for three weeks."

Hanabi was about to protest before Hinata spoke up.

"Father, Hanabi only left because she wanted to find me and make sure I was safe. I ask that you please be lenient with her punishment."

"If my punishment is too severe what would you consider a fair punishment Hinata?

"One week confined to quarters."

"If that is what you wish then it shall be. Hanabi's punishment starts today." Hiashi snapped his fingers and the Hyuga who brought the two girls there took Hanabi to her room.

"Hinata, please follow me to my study. I have a very important matter to discuss with you."

"Yes sir."

 **With Naruto**

Naruto was laying in a hospital bed out cold from the punch Tsunade hit him with. Luckily Tsunade had enough self control to hold back. Yugito, Iruka, Omoi, and Karui were all in the room waiting for him to wake up. Iruka was staring out the window, the betrayal of his friend Mizuki still in his mind. Yugito came up behind him and patted him on the shoulder. It was Karui who finally broke the silence.

"I'm going to get something from the vending machine in the hallway."

"Grab me a bag of chips and I'll pay you back for it." Omoi said.

"You still haven't paid me back from the last eight times you said that." She said as she left the room. She walked over to the vending machine and put in her money. As luck would have it the accursed machine failed to drop her snack of choice.

"Of course..." Karui unsheathed her sword and was about to unleash her wrath upon the machine before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Allow me." Lee said from behind her. He delivered a quick open palm thrust to the front of the machine that loosened the stuck snack from it's binding.

"Thank's... again." Karui retrieved the snack and was about to leave but Lee grabbed her shoulder before she could go.

"Wait! I... uh... was wondering if maybe... you and I could get together and..."

"Spar?"

"YES! SPAR! That's exactly what I wanted to ask you."

"I would love to but... I have no idea how long I have left to stay in this village. We might be leaving as early as tomorrow."

"I see." Lee turned around and was about to leave but it was Karui who grabbed him by the shoulder this time.

"If I can I'll try and see you tonight. Where do you want to meet up?"

"My house is nearby." Lee scribbled the address down on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"I hope to see you later tonight." Lee ran off leaving Karui alone with her thoughts.

 _"I hope I don't regret this."_

When she got back to the room she took her seat by Naruto's bed and began eating her snack. A few seconds later Kiba came in. Akamaru was strangely nowhere to be found.

"Excuse me. The hokage just called a meeting. He wants you to be there Iruka sensei. He says that you can come too miss." He addressed the older ninja in the room. The two nodded and followed him out. As Kiba lead them to the room where the meeting was to take place Kiba got an evil grin on his face.

"So how long have you two been playing horndogs and pussycats?"

"WHAT?!" The two adults blurted out red in the face.

"You two should really get stronger soap. You guys are ripe with the smell of each other's junk."

"SSSSHHHHH! Kiba, don't just blurt out personal stuff like that."

"Dude, you guys made it so obvious it's not even funny. Even if I didn't have this nose I could tell."

Iruka and Yugito looked down in shame. They continued to walk like that until Iruka decided to break the silence.

"Where's Akamaru? You two are usually inseparable."

"He's with my sister. She's giving him a check up to make sure he's okay after that invasion. Here we are." They reached a door at the end of the hallway and walked in. The room was big and empty, likely an old doctors office that for whatever reason wasn't being used. All of the rookies plus team guy and senseis were there with the exception of Hinata and Sai. The third was in the center of the room flanked by Jiraiya and Tsunade. They were surrounded by other assorted ninja such as Ibiki and Anko. Killer Bee was off to the side trying to not draw attention to himself as he blatantly stared directly at Tsunade's chest.

"We're still missing three people." The third commented toward Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Those three old wind bags are always late." Jiraiya said with his dislike of the three clear in his voice.

"I say we give the fools another five minutes before we start." Tsunade said, also with a clear dislike of the three in her voice.

After a bit of waiting the third's three advisors finally showed up. Two of them were plain looking old fogeys but the third one was the same crippled old man who had been trying to lure Naruto over to his side.

"I'm glad you three could make it. Now that everyone is here I have an important announcement to make. I am officially naming the fifth hokage."

The room erupted into whispers as the ninja talked among themselves about the new turn of events. The third let the whispers die down before speaking again.

"I will remain in office for one more week before passing the hat on to my successor. In one weeks time you can all look forward to the coronation of the leaf villages first female hokage, Tsunade." The room erupted into cheers at this point. Tsunade was a beloved figure in the village and everyone was excited to hear that she would be the next hokage. Some more than others.

 _"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! MY IDOL IS GOING TO BE THE HOKAGE!"_ TenTen thought in excitement. Her eyes drawn to Tsunade's chest. The attention of course didn't go unnoticed by Tsunade.

 _"I was expecting some of the younger ninja to get silly little crushes on me but this is ridiculous._ " TenTen might as well have had little hearts in her eyes she was so obvious with her affection toward Tsunade.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there was one man who was enraged at this news but did well to not show it. Danzo quietly left the room unnoticed by most. The third of course expected that kind of reaction from the old war hawk so it didn't bother him much. Danzo needed to face the hard truth that he was not going to become the hokage.

"That is all. You are dismissed." The third ordered. Everyone began funneling out of the room with the exception of a few. Killer Bee was still staring intently at the god given gifts Tsunade carried around in her shirt. He was so intent on them he didn't notice Jiraiya come up to him until he put his arm around his neck as if they were old buddies.

"A little advice friend. Don't waste your time. She hasn't touched a man since her fiance died in the last war." The old sage whispered into the jinchuriki's ear.

"Just between us there's a very nice brothel in a nearby village. It's not even a half an hour trip for high level ninja like us. How about you and I head out there and have a good time?"

"Are the women there healthy?" Bee inquired.

"Oh yes. They specialize in satisfying men like us who understand the beauty of a larger woman."

"Then what are we waiting for?" The two perverted men were about to leave when Yugito stepped in front of the two.

"Lord Bee, what are our orders?"

"I sent a messenger hawk to A. Until his orders arrive you and your team are to stay in the village. Perhaps you can spread a little good will by helping with the reconstruction. I'm sure with Naruto's help we can cut down the time it takes them to rebuild by half."

"Yes sir." She stepped out their way and the two new friends took off. Iruka walked up to Yugito and the two left the room together.

"Where do you think those two are heading off too?"

"Probably to go double team a prostitute or some other such disgusting act."

"Oh..."

"Forget about them. Let's go see if Naruto woke up."

 **Later at the Hyuga compound**

Hinata was sitting on a bench in the garden. Her mind racing because of the conversation she just shared with her father. She turned around when she heard a barking sound and Akamaru jumped into her arms. Her team wasn't far behind the excited puppy.

"Hinata, I'm so happy to see that you're safe." Kurenai said with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm glad to see you all too. I have very exciting news to share with you all." Hinata put Akamaru down and took a deep breath.

"Because of my performance in the chunin exams, father has... REINSTATED ME AS HIS HEIR!" Hinata couldn't contain her excitement anymore as she yelled the last part of her sentence.

"That's great news Hinata!" Kurenai stretched out her arms and the younger girl jumped into a loving embrace from the older woman. The other members of the team patted Hinata on the back. Things were finally looking up for the Hyuga princess.

 **Anko's apartment**

Anko stared at herself in her bathroom mirror. Her nearly naked body only covered by her black bra and panties. She was staring intently at a spot on her neck. She ripped off an unnoticable patch that blended in perfectly with the rest of her body to reveal a strange black mark surrounded by a seal. She began rubbing it for a time but when she heard her doorbell go off she quickly put the patch back on.

 _"I can't shake this feeling of dread."_ She thought before walking over to her door to see who was there. She looked through the peek hole and saw three of her favorite guy friends standing at the door. The group included Kakashi, an anbu that she affectionately refers to as "wood boy" and the man who replaced Hayate as the proctor of the third exam, Genma.

 _"Just in time to get my mind off this depressing shit."_ She thought before opening the door and beckoning the group in.

 **With Naruto**

Naruto was still knocked out from the punch Tsunade hit him with. His team and Iruka were getting impatient with the little idiot and were considering just leaving him there overnight in the care of Tsunade. Speaking of which the woman Naruto affectionately calls "Boob lady" was just walking into the room.

"How is he?" She asked concerned.

"He's fine, just sleeping. Once he wakes up we'll head back to our hotel."

"We may need this bed for one of the other injured ninja so that would be much appreciated."

Naruto started making sounds in his sleep. Everyone took it as a sign he was waking up and all attention turned on him.

"zzzzzz ramen hot tub zzzzzzzzzzz"

"He's started talking in his sleep again." Karui commented.

"zzzzzzz sexy naked dance party zzzzzzzzzz"

"He's having those kind of dreams again." This time Omoi commented.

"zzzzzzzz boob lady in sexy naked dance party zzzzzzzzzzzz"

Tsunade didn't take too kindly to that last bit of knowledge of Naruto's dream. She began cracking her knuckles menacingly.

"zzzzzzzzz boob lady uses shadow clone jutsu zzzzzzzzzz"

Tsunade was about to crack Naruto's skull open when Omoi jumped up and slapped Naruto across the face.

"OW!"

"NARUTO RUN NOW!" Omoi yelled to his friend. Naruto noticed the enraged Tsunade and jumped out the window.

 ** _"You really need to get that whole sleep talking thing under control."_**

Naruto began running for his life from the enraged sannin chasing after him.

 **Elsewhere**

A red-headed young girl was sitting in a chair in a dark lab. It was so dark that the only visible area in the room was the area around the desk that was illuminated by the lantern sitting on it. She was scribbling down some notes on a piece of paper, her desk facing a giant tank of water.

"Hey, Karin?" A voice could be heard. The girl now identified as Karin ignored the voice.

"I'm hungry, can you get me something to eat?" Karin continued to ignore the voice but she was visibly getting frustrated. Her writing became faster and sloppy.

"I'd like the Karin's pussy special with extra sauce."

Karin slammed her hands on the desk hard splintering the wood.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I HATE YOU SUIGETSU!" She screamed at the water tank. The water in the tank suddenly formed into the visage of a boy who was laughing hysterically.

"YOU'RE SO EASY! HAHAHAHA!"

"Leave her alone Suigetsu." Karin spun around at the sound of the voice and saw Tayuya along with the mysterious boy from before. She, like Tayuya jumped into the boys arms.

"The snake is dead." He said with pure joy in his voice.

"Does that mean?" Karin asked as she looked up in shock.

"Yes. We can finally fulfil our dream. You me and Tayuya can rebuild the Uzumaki clan." Karin smashed her lips against the boys at this news.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Suigetsu said, motioning to Tayuya.

"You're right. You two should get more comfortable with each other. We're going to be living together from now on after all." The boy said in a suave manner after breaking his kiss with Karin. The two girls nodded to him before lightly kissing each other on the cheek.

"Oh you two can do better than that." The mystery boy said.

The two girls nodded again and this time kissed each other firmly on the lips. This time Karin put more effort into it surprising Tayuya with her tongue sneaking into her mouth.

The mystery boy gave a thumbs up to Suigetsu who returned the gesture.

"Just for that I'm going to set you free." The mystery boy smashed the glass tank with his fist and the strange liguid poured out. Out of this liguid formed the naked form of Suigetsu.

"Thanks for the help there." Suigetsu said as he stretched his sore muscles.

"Ew." Karin looked away from the naked boy she despised.

"What's the matter Karin? You afraid if you stare too long you'll like what you see?"

"I hate you." She said, still refusing to look at him.

"Let's go girls. Our next stop is the main hide out in the sound village."

"But that's where the bulk of Orochimaru's forces are." Karin said with a slight hint of fear.

"Exactly. Those idiots are going to be scrambling around fighting to decide the new leader. Now that Kimimaro is dead the only person who's even close to my level is Kabuto and he has no desire to lead Orochimaru's army. It'll be easy walking in there and taking control."

"If that's your plan then count me out. I have my own plans to put into motion." Suigetsu said.

"We don't want you with us anyway you slimy freak!" Karin yelled at the object of her hatred.

"You're breaking my heart babe." Suigetsu walked off to find his clothes.

"Ignore him Karin. Let's just get out of here.


	27. Chapter 27

ch. 27

It was the night after the invasion and Naruto and Tsunade were sitting at the bench of Ichiraku ramen talking like old friends.

"Thanks for the free ramen." Naruto said to Tsunade while waiting for Teuchi to finish cooking his favorite food.

"You earned it after beating that Gaara boy." She smiled at Naruto making him blush.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to take me out to ramen after you caught me. I was expecting you to kick my ass."

"I was thinking about it but it really wouldn't have been fair. It's not like you can control your dreams or anything like that."

"I'm not sure my dream would have been much different if I could." The boy flashed a cheeky grin.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Teuchi placed their respective orders in front of them and the two began to eat.

"Have you seen Jiraiya lately? I wanted to talk to him about something." Naruto asked between mouthfuls of noodles.

"Last I saw him he was heading off with Killer Bee. I assume the two perverts went to a whore house to have a grand old time."

"That sounds like them all right."

"Having to deal with Jiraiya is bad enough but that Bee man was staring at my chest since the second he saw me."

"Doesn't everybody?"

"Not as blatantly as him. That man may have less shame than Jiraiya."

"You're going to have to get used to that sort of thing if you're really going to become the fifth hokage."

"Don't remind me. When the third made the announcement there was some silly girl there who was so obviously in love with me it was ridiculous. It was like something out of a silly cartoon. I was honestly expecting her to turn into a wolf and start whistling at me."

"Looks like I have some competition then." Naruto jokingly said.

"Haha, oh if only you were a little older and I was a lot younger." She ruffled Naruto's hair playfully.

"Age is just a number. All that matters is the feelings you have when you're together." Naruto said in a deeper voice in a failed attempt to sound mature.

Tsunade looked at Naruto through squinted eyes.

"You stole that line from a porno."

Naruto froze and stared at her for a second. He really did take that line from a porno. It was a movie about a beautiful older widow who was being chased by a younger man who was in love with her. The widow didn't want to be with another man because she still loved her late husband but after awhile she gave in to her lust and started a physical relationship with him.

Naruto squinted his eyes right back at Tsunade.

"And how exactly would you know if that line was from a porno?"

"I'm a grown woman. I can watch whatever I want."

"I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"Deal."

The two shook hands and went back to eating.

 _"Well, these two are certainly an interesting pair."_ Teuchi thought as he continued to cook.

Elsewhere in the village Karui was approaching Lee's house. She knocked on the door and within seconds Lee was there.

"HELLO!" He blurted out like a madman.

"... Hi."

"You came. Thank you." Lee turned around and yelled to someone inside. Karui could only assume it was his parents.

"I'm going out to do some training!"

"Have fun dear!" A female voice yelled back.

"Don't kill yourself!" A male voice also yelled.

Lee closed the door and began walking with Karui beside him.

"My teams training grounds aren't very far."The two walked in silence for awhile. They reached the grounds after a few minutes. Karui looked around and was shocked at the state of the place. There were giant craters everywhere.

"It looks like Guy sensei was here earlier. He must have been drilling the lotus."

For some reason an image of Naruto appeared in Karui's head when Lee said that.

 _"I bet Lee will be drilling the lotus tonight too. If you know what I mean."_ Karui tried to ignore the mental image but it continued pestering her.

 _"The lotus is your vagina. Get it?"_ Karui began blushing wildly.

"Look, Lee... about what happened earlier today"

"Please don't feel the need to mention that. All I did was what anyone would have done."

"That isn't true and you know it. I was a foreigner about to get killed by another foreigner. I'm sure most people couldn't have cared less what was going to happen to me. What you did was really brave and honorable." Lee began blushing at the compliments.

"So... You said you wanted to spar?" Karui said to break another awkward silence between the two.

"Yes. I've never fought an experienced swordsman before. I think it would be a good opportunity for me."

"I won't go easy on you." Karui pulled out a storage scroll and retrieved a training sword from it.

"I wouldn't want you to anyway." Lee and Karui got into their respective fighting stances.

"Let's go!" The two yelled in unison before rushing at each other.

 **With Hinata**

Hinata stood alone in her room staring at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a stunning white kimono that was adorned with a beautiful floral design.

"You look amazing." Hinata turned to see Neji standing in her doorway and immediately began blushing. Neji was wearing a similar robe to the one Hiashi usually wears.

"This kimono belonged to my mother."

"It's just as beautiful as she was." Neji walked over to Hinata and offered his arm.

"The celebration is about to start." Neji told the shy girl. Hinata took Neji's arm and the two went on their way.

"I still can't believe this is really happening."

"I can. You've worked hard to prove yourself. You've earned this."

"I never would have made it this far without your assistance. Thank you Neji." Hinata gave Neji a light kiss on the cheek similar to the way she kisses Hanabi.

Neji began blushing.

"I should be the one thanking you. I always used to think that everything was predetermined but when you defeated TenTen I realized that I was wrong. If you can change then anyone can change." The two came to a big double door.

"Here we are. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Neji opened the door to a huge room filled wall to wall with members of the Hyuga clan. When they saw their princess had arrived everyone in the room began cheering loudly and whistling from their seats. Hinata's face went red from all the attention.

 _"Some things never change."_ Neji thought. He led Hinata through the sea of Hyugas and brought her to the front of the room where her father was sitting. He had a box in front of him that had the leaf village insignia on it. Hinata took a seat next to her father and Neji took a seat beside her.

Hiashi stood up silencing the entire room.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the accomplishments of my first born daughter Hinata. She has shown that she is indeed worthy of succeeding me as the head of the clan when she comes of age. She showed impressive mastery of our clans techniques during the chunin exams and she was instrumental in the capture of the kazekage's son during the invasion." Hiashi paused for applause before continuing.

"She has also accomplished something that hasn't happened in years." Hiashi picked up the box and handed it to Hinata. As Hinata opened the box her eyes went wide with surprise. She pulled out the chunin vest and everyone in the room began cheering loudly once again.

"She along with two of her peers have been promoted to the rank of chunin in their first year as genin. The last person in our village to accomplish such a feat was the fourth hokage. I propose a toast." All the adults in the room raised their drinking glass.

"To Hinata." Hiashi proclaimed. Everyone echoed him before downing their drinks. Hiashi sat back down and the maids and butlers who work the estate came out to deliver food to the clan.

Hinata was still staring at the vest when she felt her fathers hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him and she saw him smile for the first time since her mother passed away.

"I'm proud of you." A single tear escaped Hinata's eye before she grabbed her father in a hug.

 **With Lee and Karui**

The two young warriors were breathing heavy starring each other down. Their sparring session had managed leave the training grounds in even worse shape than before with patches of burned grass and a few more craters in the ground.

"I'm done." Karui put away her training sword and comically let herself fall backwards. Lee walked over and laid down next to her.

"You are truly an expert swordsman." Lee complimented to her.

"You're pretty tough too. I've never seen someone go so far with only their taijutsu before."

"Thank you. It is my dream to be the greatest taijutsu specialist in the world someday. Do you mind if I ask what your dreams are?"

"... I never really think about that sort of thing. I guess all I want is to protect my family."

"Are the rest of your family ninja as well?"

"No. My parent's are merchants."

"What made you decide to become a ninja?"

"When I was in civilian school I used to get into fights a lot. People would pick on me and I would lose my temper. One day I got into a fight with a kid twice my size and beat him without breaking a sweat. The next day the principal came to my house to suggest to my parents that I go to ninja school. What about you?"

"My parents are both retired ninja. They were good chunin in their time but when I was born they decided to retire for my sake. They took desk jobs at the intel division. I wanted to become a ninja to follow in their footsteps."

"I'm sure that they're very proud of you. You're an exceptional ninja. You're the only other genin I've ever seen to give Naruto such a fight."

"Yes, it was a very good fight. That Naruto is one of the greatest ninja's I've fought. He is a true prodigy."

"Ha! Naruto a prodigy? That clumsy oaf is the farthest thing from it." Lee looked at Karui with a surprised face. He wasn't expecting such an outburst.

"But he defeated not only me and the last Uchiha but Gaara as well."

"I never said Naruto wasn't freakishly tough. I just said he wasn't a prodigy. Have you ever wondered why he uses the shadow clone jutsu instead of the normal clone jutsu? It's because his chakra control is so poor he literally can't use the clone jutsu. He couldn't even do the transformation jutsu right at first. It took him a year to master a jutsu that's only supposed to take a few months at most. That's not even the worst of it. When we were first going over the use of swords in the academy, that idiot almost cut his hand clean off. The hand that was holding the sword no less!"

"... How is that even possible?"

"Naruto found a way."

"I don't understand. If Naruto is truly as foolish as you say then how did he become so strong?"

"The same way you did. By working harder than everyone else around him." Karui looked into Lee's eyes and the two began blushing at each other.

"I really enjoyed our spar tonight. I can walk you back to your hotel if you want." Lee offered to the girl.

"I'd like that." The two stood up and went on their way.

 **With Naruto**

"Thanks again for the free food. I should probably head back to the hotel now." Naruto said as he patted his inflated belly and stood up from his seat at the ramen stand.

"You're welcome. Good night sweet prince." Tsunade kissed Naruto on top of the head.

"And good night to you too fair maiden." Naruto bowed and kissed Tsunade's hand.

"You're sweet." She ruffled his hair one last time before turning around and leaving toward the hospital. Before making his way toward the hotel Naruto stood still for a few seconds to admire Tsunade's body one last time for the night.

 ** _"For a woman that's known for her chest she's got a pretty nice butt too."_**

 _"You can say that again."_

 ** _"If we're lucky maybe Hinata will fill out like that."_**

Naruto's head began to fill with images of what Hinata could possibly look like as an adult. Every possibility was even more attractive than the last.

 ** _"I'm all for fantasizing about attractive females but can we do it someplace more private?"_** Naruto snapped out of his hormone induced trance and headed back to his hotel room for the night. It didn't take him long to get there but when he did he was in for a surprise. He saw Karui and Lee standing in front of the door talking.

 ** _"Well this is an interesting turn of events."_** Karui and Lee shared a brief hug before Karui walked into the hotel. When she was out of ear shot Naruto whistled brining Lee's attention toward him. Naruto had a big dumb grin on his face and walked up to Lee.

"So, you're getting comfy around Karui huh?" Lee began blushing.

"We uh... were just having a sparring session." Naruto put his arm around Lee.

"I like you Lee so I don't mind if you get closer to my team mate." Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom.

"Here, take this just in case." Lee was left speechless at the item Naruto was trying to give him.

"You don't have to use it but it's really nice to have just in case. I've never had the need to use one yet but I always keep a couple on me if the situation ever arises." Naruto shoved the item into Lee's hand and gave him a thumbs up before walking into the hotel.

Lee stood in the middle of the street staring at the condom in his hands for a few seconds.

"I guess I'll keep it." Lee placed the item into his pouch and went home.


	28. Chapter 28

ch. 28

"Steady" Naruto said as he held a nail in place and Omoi positioned the hammer above it.

"Please don't smash my finger again."

"I won't." Omoi immediately brought the hammer down, missing the nail and causing the shadow clone Naruto to poof out of existence.

Within seconds another Naruto appeared on the rooftop.

"You're banned from using the hammer!"

"Naruto! Omoi!" Karui yelled from the street. Naruto and Omoi jumped down to meet her.

"Our orders just came in." Karui told the two.

"What does lord A want us to do?" Omoi questioned.

"We're to come home immediately. Sensei says we leave first thing in the morning."

"What? But tomorrow is the day the boob lady becomes the fifth hokage. I want to stay for the ceremony!" Naruto whined.

"If it means that much to you then bitch about it to sensei." Karui walked off. Naruto looked incredibly saddened by this news and Omoi patted his friend on the shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up.

"I wanted to stay just a little bit longer." Naruto said solemnly.

Elsewhere in the village Hinata was bored out of her mind studying her clans history. Ever since she became the heir again her father had her on a tight schedule. If she wasn't studying or training she was being taught how to be a proper lady of society. She hadn't had a day to herself since the invasion but tomorrow was the day of Tsunade's coronation as hokage. She was going to have the whole day to herself and she was hoping on spending it with her favorite blond.

 _"Oh Naruto. I haven't seen you since you defeated Gaara."_ She knew he was still in town thanks to the occasional Hyuga commenting on the "cloud bastards" who were assisting in the reconstruction of the village.

 _"I know that you'll have to leave soon but I want to see you one more time before that happens."_ She sighed loudly before returning her attention to her studies.

 **At the entrance to Ryuchi cave**

A hooded figure approached the sinister cave.

"So this is the cave where you learned the art of the white snake." Kabuto lowered his hood and stared into the darkness of the cave.

"HISS!" Orochimaru was still locked up in the jar clenched in Kabuto's hand.

"I know you're hungry." Kabuto took out a bag filled with tiny berries. They were small enough to slip through the air holes he put in the top of the jar. Orochimaru looked at Kabuto as if he were dissatisfied with the food.

"Don't look at me like that. You're lucky I'm feeding you at all."

"HISS!" Orochimaru began eating the berries.

"Your vocabulary has certainly become more colorful now that you've become a snake." Kabuto walked into the cave. The darkness inside was almost unnatural. A feeling of impending horror washed over Kabuto but he didn't let that stop him. He wanted the power of the white snake and he wasn't going to let anything stop him. He kept walking until he found himself at a split in the path.

"HISS!" Orochimaur instructed him on the correct path.

"What would happen if I went the other way?"

"HISS!"

"Well, that would certainly be an annoyance." Kabuto continued making his way through the cave, following Orochimaru's directions until he found what he was looking for. He exited the darkness and came face to face with the white snake sage. It's titanic body wrapped around huge stone pillars was a sight to behold. It's eyes were shut and it's body was still as if it was in a deep meditation.

"HISS!" Kabuto listened to Orochimaru and kneeled before the snake. His eyes opened and he looked over Kabuto.

"Another human comes to learn my secrets. Tell me boy, did Orochimaru tell you of this place?"

"Yes sir." Kabuto answered respectfully.

"How is that fool? Did he die yet?"

"HISS!" Kabuto held up the jar so the white snake sage could see what had happened to his previous disciple.

"HAHAHAHAHA! He was desperate enough to use that technique? You should know that there is no way to help him now. All he can do is wait until he grows strong enough to possess another host body."

"I am aware of that sir. The reason I am here is because I wish to train under you in order to master the art of the white snake."

"Are you yet another fool who wishes to live forever?"

"No sir. I want this power for a much simpler reason, revenge."

"How powerful is the target of your revenge if you feel you need my aid to defeat him?"

"He's one of the most deadly men alive today. He, like Orochimaru has taken extreme measures to extend his life."

"What is this man's name?"

"Danzo."

"Well then, if you truly wish to kill this Danzo then we should begin your training immediately."

 **Later that night with Naruto**

Naruto and Omoi had just gotten back from the reconstruction site and Naruto immediately went to his sisters room to talk to her. He barged in while she was in the middle of organizing her gear.

"Sis, do we really have to leave so soon? Can't we at least stay for the boob ladies ceremony?"

"Naruto, I know that you like this place but we have to go home. Lord A needs us for missions. He can't afford to let his best genin team lounge around another village forever."

"I get that sis but we should at least be able to spare one more day. I want to say good bye to all the new friends I've made. Please?" Naruto made puppy dog eyes at his sister.

"Naruto I..."

"It'll give you a chance to say goodbye to Iruka." Yugito blushed. She would like one more chance to see him. Even if it didn't end up physical.

"Okay Naruto. We'll stay until Tsunade's coronation in the afternoon. We leave immediately after that so be prepared."

"Thank you sis!" Naruto ran over and gave his sister a big hug before turning to leave.

"Naruto!" She called out to him as he opened the door.

"Yeah sis?"

"Don't get into any trouble tomorrow."

"You worry too much. What could possibly happen?"

It was at this same time that Sasuke was at his home pounding away on a punching bag. There was a suspiciously familiar face drawn on the bag. It's golden hair and whiskered face was instantly recognizable to anyone.

 _"I'll get my rematch! First I'll beat him and then I'll beat Itachi!"_ Sasuke thought as he delivered devastating haymakers to the bag.

He heard a door open nearby and a familiar voice follow it.

"Sasuke? Are you home?" Sakura asked from the front door of his house.

"I'm in the dojo!" He continued to bombard the bag while talking.

Sakura came in with a bag of food in her hands.

"I got those groceries you asked for. Why did you need me to do your shopping anyway?"

"I need to dedicate every available second to training. These chunin exams have shown me that I'm not strong enough." Sakura was getting irritated at Sasuke's attitude. She thought he asked her to do his shopping because he had some important errand to run but he really did it just because he was still pissed off about losing to Naruto. She put the grocery bag down and walked over and grabbed Sasuke's fist mid swing to stop him. Sasuke was shocked at this action but not as shocked as when Sakura punched a hole through his punching bag right where the face of Naruto was drawn. She removed her fist and sand began pouring out of the bag and pooling on the floor.

"You need to get over that guy. So he beat you. I got beat by that purple faced sand creep but you don't see me losing sleep over it. Now go get washed up. I'm gonna cook for you tonight." Sakura turned to leave toward the kitchen.

 _"OH GOD NO!"_ Sasuke began freaking out. He wouldn't wish Sakura's food on his brother it was so bad.

"Th-That won't be necessary Sakura." The pink haired banshee looked at him confused.

"You went through the trouble of buying my groceries. I would be honored if you allowed me to cook for you." His bullshit worked as Sakura began blushing.

"I-I would love that Sasuke."

"Please go wait in the living room. I'll clean myself off as fast as possible then prepare our meal."

"O-Okay then." Sakura walked away and Sasuke let out a sigh of relief at the horror he just avoided.

 _"That was a close one."_

While Sasuke was cleaning up Sakura was sitting on his couch. Her mind was racing with thoughts.

 _"Oh god, this is like a date isn't it? I'm finally on a date with Sasuke! I can't wait to tell the girls."_ Her thoughts started drifting to her friends. She was happy for them becoming chunin but she'd be a liar if she didn't admit to being jealous.

 _"Ah, If I keep thinking about that stuff I'm gonna get depressed!"_ She spotted the remote control for Sasuke's television and decided to turn it on. As she pressed the button Sasuke ran into the room in his underwear.

"DON'T TURN ON THE T.V!" It was too late as the screen blinked to life revealing the last thing that Sasuke was watching. Sakura's jaw hit the floor as she watched what she could only describe as the most disgusting display of pornography she could imagine. She dropped the remote and turned to Sasuke with a fire in her eyes. Sasuke was paralyzed with fear as he watched the monster before him wind up for a devastating punch.

 _"Still better than eating her food."_ He thought before the fist came crashing into his face.

 **In the sound village**

The mystery boy and his two female accomplices were finally arriving at Orochimaru's main hideout in the sound village. The entrance was a cave hidden in some mountains but the inside was a sprawling labyrinth of a structure that rivaled some of the smaller hidden villages in size.

"Are you sure about this?" Karin asked the boy. Her fear was evident.

"Just because you have a pussy doesn't give you a free pass to be one." Tayuya spat.

"Be nice Tayuya." The boy turned to face Karin. "You don't have to worry about anything. None of these weaklings can stand up to me. Even if they could I have you two to back me up." The boy walked into the cave with Karin and Tayuya following him. They all knew the layout so it didn't take them very long to get to where they needed to go. They found the war room where they knew Orochimaru's highest ranked enforcers would be arguing over who gets to take command. The boy kicked in the door startling everyone in the room.

"You're new leader has arrived!" The boy arrogantly proclaimed. There were five older men all dressed up in the standard issue sound uniform sitting around a large table. When the boy made his grand entrance they all stood up.

"We figured you would be stupid enough to try something like this." The first man said.

"You're the last person we would ever follow." The second man said.

"We decided that we would kill you as soon as you showed your face." The third man said.

"Whoever cuts off your head gets to be the new leader." The fourth man said.

"Your girl friends won't be able to save you from all five of us." The final man said.

"Ha, I was hoping that I would have to kill something. Tayuya, take the two on the left. I don't need the help but I know you've been itching for a fight for days now. Karin, just sit back and enjoy the show."

All five men drew kunai and rushed at the group.

The boy flashed through his hand signs before slamming his palm into the ground.

"EARTH STYLE: EARTH LANCE JUTSU!" A lance made of solid rock shot out of the ground. The boy grabbed it and used it to block the kunai from three of the men. The other two were preoccupied with Tayuya who was easily dodging their kunai strikes.

"You pussies couldn't hit a bitch if she was begging for it." She taunted.

"Have I ever told you that I love it when you talk dirty?" The boy said as he casually knocked the three men aside with a swing of his weapon.

"Every night." Tayuya answered as she grabbed one of her assailants arms and effortlessly popped his elbow out of place. The mans screamed didn't last long as Tayuya finished him off with a kunai down his throat.

"Remind you of anything babe?" She asked as she held up the mans head for the boy to see.

"Now that's a familiar sight." The boy began spinning his lance knocking away two of his assailants. The third one managed to avoid the attack and rushed in for the kill. His over enthusiasm cost him his life as the boy easily dodged his attack and rammed his lance up the mans rear end.

"Speaking of familiar sights." The boy winked at Karin who began blushing.

Tayuya wasn't one to be out done as she began bombarding her last opponents torso with violent stabs.

"Reminds me of swiss cheese!" She gleefully yelled as she murdered the poor man.

The boy impaled the second to last man through the throat causing the final man to drop his weapon and fall to his knees.

"I SURRENDER! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! IT WASN'T MY IDEA TO ATTACK YOU!"

The boy aimed his weapon straight at the mans head. "Will you recognize me as your leader?"

"YES!"

"Say it. I want to hear you acknowledge me as the leader."

"I am but your humble servant lord Tadakatsu."

Tadakatsu smiled an evil smile.

"Kill him Tayuya."

"NO!" The man screamed as Tayuya smashed the mans face in with a deadly punch. His jaw came unhinged and he fell to the floor. Tayuya jumped on him and started pounding his head into the ground with a maniacal look in her eye.

"Old fools. The only reason Orochimaru kept them around was for their strategy and experience. They were past their prime years ago." Tadakatsu said aloud.

Karin looked away. She was a ninja like the others but she never found pleasure in the kill like Tayuya did.

Tadakatsu took a seat in a chair at the war room table. He pressed a button on the table that activated the intercom.

"Everyone, head to the main hall immediately. The new leader has been chosen." He stood up and walked to the door.

"You girls coming?" Tayuya stopped beating the dead mans brains into the ground and happily walked over to her mans side and grabbed his arm. Karin took his other arm making sure to look away from the blood splattered visage of Tayuya.

"Today was a good day girls." The three walked off to greet their new minions.

 **Back in the leaf village with Sasuke and Sakura**

Sasuke and Sakura sat in silence at Sasuke's dinner table. Sasuke's eye was bruised beyond belief and Sakura was happily devouring the food Sasuke prepared for her.

"This is really good Sasuke. I never knew you could cook like this." Sakura complimented the dark boy.

"I used to help my mother prepare dinner when I was younger." Sakura immediately felt bad for stirring up such painful memories.

"Uh, Sakura?"

"Yeah Sasuke?"

"Do you want to go to the Hokage's coronation tomorrow? I mean together?"

Sakura got a deep blush on her face. "Of course I would Sasuke!"

"Thanks... and about the t.v"

Sakura's forehead vein began to throb and she began gritting her teeth.

"I'm sorry about that. If you don't like it I promise to stop watching that sort of thing."

Sakura calmed down a little.

"Good. The last thing the world needs is another Kakashi."


	29. Chapter 29

ch. 29

The sun was rising on the day of Tsunade's coronation as hokage and Naruto was happily sleeping in his bed. His dreams were obviously pleasant from the blush on his face and the tent that was forming in his blanket. Omoi was also happily sleeping but his dreams weren't having the same effect on his body. The door opened and Karui walked in. She was already dressed and walked over to shake Omoi awake after glancing at Naruto and rolling her eyes.

"YAWN!" Omoi sat up and began rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?" He lazily asked.

"Six in the morning?" Karui responded. Omoi looked at her surprised.

"What the hell did you wake me up so early for?"

"Sensei asked me to. She doesn't want you two bums sleeping in today."

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ I love it when you use your feet baby." Naruto said in his sleep.

"Does that little freak ever stop thinking about sex? God damn pervert." Karui said annoyed.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ You can bring as many friends as you want baby."

"I swear to god." Karui walked over to shake the little pervert awake. She began nudging him lightly but he was much too deep of a sleeper to be affected by that.

"Wake up god damn it!" She pulled the blanket off of his body and instantly wished she hadn't. While Naruto was underneath the covers she hadn't noticed that one of his hands was stuffed down the front of his pants with a firm grip on his manhood slowly pumping up and down. Karui did what any teenage girl would have done in that situation. She freaked out and got angry.

"PERVERT!" She screamed as she slapped Naruto across the face.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Naruto screamed as the stinging pain of Karui striking him took him away from his happy dream world.

"PERVERTPERVERTPERVERTPERVERTPERVERTPERVERTPERVERT PERVERTPERVERTPERVERT!" Karui continued to unleash a barrage of slaps across Naruto's face.

"WHAT DID I DO!?" Naruto was able to say in between strikes.

"PERVERT!" With one final mighty strike Karui sent Naruto flying out of his bed. He crashed into Omoi who was still sitting in his bed and the two tumbled onto the floor.

"DON'T TALK TO ME FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!" Karui stormed out of the room leaving an irritated Omoi and a confused Naruto.

"WHAT DID I DO!?" Naruto held his sore face.

"You were masturbating in your sleep." Omoi told him as he stood up.

"AND SHE COULDN'T LET ME FINISH!?"

Elsewhere in the village, Hinata was also waking up at this time. Unlike Naruto her awakening was peaceful. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before getting out of her bed and heading towards her sisters room. She poked her head inside and had to put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from giggling. Hanabi was sprawled over her bed with the sheet knocked onto the floor. Her mouth was wide open and there was a trail of drool flowing out and down the side of her face. In Hinata's eyes it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. She quickly and silently made her way over and sat on the bed next to her baby sisters sleeping form. Hinata's hand gently brushed the side of Hanabi's face and Hanabi began to stir from her slumber.

"Sis?" She asked sheepishly.

"Good morning dear. I wanted to let you know that your punishment is over today. You're no longer confined to quarters." Hanabi jumped up and hugged her big sister tightly.

"Thank you sis." Hanabi said. Hinata kissed Hanabi on the forehead and stood up.

"Let's go get breakfast sweety." Hinata took her baby sisters hand and the two left the room.

Back with Naruto, He was walking through the leaf village still holding his aching cheek.

 _"So not only am I super horny because I couldn't finish off but now my face feels like it's been through a blender. Could this day get any wor"_

 ** _"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!"_**

 _"What? I was just going to say how this day can't get any wor"_

 ** _"NO! THE FATES TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE WHENEVER A HUMAN IS STUPID ENOUGH TO SAY THAT PHRASE!"_**

 _"But I'm not saying the phrase out loud. I'm just saying it in my mind."_

 ** _"I don't care! The risk is too great."_**

 _"Why are you freaking out about this?"_

 ** _"Your mother said that phrase once. It was the same day she learned she was pregnant."_**

 _"FUCK YOU!"_

 ** _"HAHAHAHAHA! You walked right into that one. But seriously though, don't say that phrase. Every time I've ever heard someone say that it got worse._**

 _"I'll keep that in mind."_

Naruto soon arrived at his destination. If today was his last day in the leaf he was going to spend it with a belly full of the greatest thing in the universe.

"I'LL HAVE ONE OF EVERYTHING!" He loudly proclaimed as he walked up to the front counter and put down a fat wad of cash. Teuchi and Ayame turned around surprised.

"Today is my last day in the village. There's no way I'm leaving before I taste the heavenly flavor of Ichiraku ramen one last time!" Teuchi couldn't help but smile.

"ONE OF EVERYTHING COMING RIGHT UP!" Teuchi yelled before turning around and getting to work on the absurd order. Ayame wasn't as positive as her father was. She walked to the other side of the counter and pulled Naruto into a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you again." She kissed the boy on the top of the head.

"Hey it doesn't have to be goodbye forever. If I'm ever in the fire country on a mission I'll try and stop by if I have the chance." Naruto blushed.

"When that happens I'll make you a special bowl of ramen." Ayame smiled making Naruto blush even harder. Teuchi placed a bowl on the counter.

"First of many." He said before getting to work on the next one.

Naruto enthusiastically began eating.

While Naruto was saying goodbye to two of his favorite people in the village his sister Yugito was also saying goodbye to her favorite person in the village, though her way of saying goodbye was a lot more physical that Naruto's. She laid in Iruka's bed with nothing but the covers over her naked body. Iruka of course was right next to her. Their bodies cuddled up next to each other.

"I never intended for this to happen but I honestly don't regret it." Yugito said breaking their shared silence.

"I have a confession to make." Iruka said.

"I was your first."

"You already knew?"

"It was obvious. I didn't care that you were inexperienced though. You were loving and gentle. That's all I really wanted."

"Was I your first as well?"

"Of course you were. No man in my country has the courage to touch me. They are all afraid of what would happen to them if they got me angry." Yugito began looking deep into Iruka's eyes.

"I love you ya know." She kissed him and Iruka didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and kiss her back.

"I love you too." He told her after he broke the kiss.

"You and I must be the stupidest ninja in the world to think this is going to work out." Yugito said with a smile.

"I guess that's why we make such a good couple."

While the two adults continued to make love, Naruto was leaving Ichiraku ramen with a belly full of his favorite food. It was sad for him to say goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame but he meant it when he said he would see them again. He quickly brushed his sad thoughts aside. He had a few more people to say goodbye to. He decided to swing by the Sarutobi clan compound to say goodbye to the old man and Konohamaru. He found the two of them in the clan garden. The third was sitting in a lawn chair relaxing while Konohamaru was walking around watering the plants.

"I didn't think you two were the gardening type." Naruto said as he approached the two.

"Naruto, what brings you here today?" The old man asked from his comfortable seat.

"Today is my last day in the village. We're leaving as soon as the boob lady's ceremony is over."

"HAHAHAHA" The third got a good chuckle at Naruto's nickname for Tsunade.

"Does this mean I won't get to see you again?" Konohamaru walked up and asked.

"Of course not. I'll come back to visit if I'm in country on a mission. Tsunade knows me so I shouldn't have too much trouble."

The third stood up.

"Naruto, you have grown into an exceptional young man. I'm very proud of you and I'm sure your parents would be too."

"Thanks old man." The two shook hands.

"Konohamaru, you know you have to carry on my legacy of pranking the village. I know you can do it!"

"I will boss!" The two high fived each other.

"I'm glad I'm not the one who has to deal with that sort of thing anymore. The third said getting a laugh from the other two.

"You should probably get going Naruto. I'm sure you've made many friends here that you would like to say farewell to."

"You're right. See ya old man. Konohamaru."

"Bye Naruto! I'll be the best prankster the village has ever seen!" Konohamaru yelled to the retreating form of Naruto.

"You better be!" Naruto yelled back and gave a thumbs up.

While Naruto was leaving he was thinking about who he wanted to see next.

 _"Let's see, I said goodbye to Ichiraku ramen, the old man, and Konohamaru. Who should I see next?"_

 ** _"Well you obviously want to spend the most time with Hinata so she should be last. I'd say go see Iruka but him and Yugito are busy right now."_**

 _"I'd like to go see if Gaara and Shukaku have been behaving but they're still in jail and there's no way they let a foreigner in to talk to a prisoner of war."_

 ** _"We could say goodbye to that Lee boy but then we run the risk of running into Karui."_**

 _"I like Lee but hell no am I going near Karui for awhile."_

 ** _"We didn't really bond with many of the other genin during the exam."_**

 _"Maybe we should go see the Uchiha. I never got a chance to tell him what a great fight we had."_

 ** _"If you do that he'll pick a fight with you."_**

 _"Our match was over a month ago. He can't possibly still be pissed off."_

At this exact moment Sasuke was practicing his kunai throwing on a training dummy with Naruto's face drawn on it.

 ** _"If you want to be stupid then be my guest. Don't say I didn't warn you though."_**

 _"When we find him and he's perfectly civil I expect you to acknowledge that I was right and you were wrong."_

 ** _"Fine then. I won't be wrong though."_**

While Naruto made his way toward Sasuke, Hinata was scanning the village with her Byakugan to find him. She caught a glimpse of his familiar orange clothes and took off.

 ** _"Guess who's on her way over to us."_**

 _"I can sense her. After we talk to Sasuke we won't have to go searching for her at least."_

 ** _"Assuming the Uchiha doesn't attack us of course."_**

Naruto and Yugito weren't the only members of their team saying goodbye to new friends. Karui had been watching Lee practice kicking a training dummy for awhile now. She stood behind a tree arguing with herself over what to say.

"If I were you I'd talk to Lee quick." TenTen jumped down from the same tree shocking Karui.

"Our teammate Neji doesn't like your village. He promised not to say anything during the chunin exams but now that it's over I don't know what he'll do if he sees you."

"I-I just don't know what to say..." Karui began blushing.

"What exactly are your feelings toward Lee?"

"I... think he's a really reliable and honorable guy. I wish there were more people like him in the world."

"Then go tell him that." TenTen began pushing Karui toward Lee. Karui resisted a little so TenTen whistled bringing Lee's attention to the pair.

"Hey Lee, this girl has something to say to you." TenTen said as she pushed Karui toward Lee even harder. Realizing that she couldn't just hide anymore, Karui decided to just roll with it and walked over to Lee.

"We're leaving today. I just wanted to say goodbye. I really enjoyed spending time with you."

"And I enjoyed spending time with you. I hope you and I get to see each other again in the future."

"... Goodbye." Karui hugged Lee and kissed him on the cheek before turning and running away. Lee stood there for a second holding his cheek before TenTen walked over and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Don't you watch movies? This is the part where you're supposed to run after her and tell her how much you love her!"

"... TenTen you know movies aren't realistic right?" Lee got another smack in the head for that.

In another training ground nearby Naruto had finally found Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke!" The last Uchiha turned around surprised after hearing Naruto's voice.

"This is my last day in the village so I just wanted to say that we had a really great match and I hope to fight you again someday!" Naruto gave Sasuke a thumbs up.

 ** _"DUCK!"_**

Naruto dodged the surprise kunai thrown by Sasuke thanks to Kurama's warning.

"Woah man, I didn't come here to fight!"

"I'm not letting you leave before I get my rematch! I'll defeat you this time." Sasuke ran toward Naruto with a kunai in hand. Naruto took out his own kunai and the two clashed.

 ** _"WHAT DID I TELL YOU!?"_**

 _"SHUT UP!"_

Sasuke threw a punch with his free hand but Naruto blocked it with his own free hand. Sasuke surprised Naruto by jumping up and smashing him in the face with a knee sending Naruto flying away a short distance.

 ** _"Let's not waste any time with this punk. Use my power and end him fast."_**

 _"No. I don't want this guy to have any excuses when I kick his ass for a second time."_

Naruto stood up and charged right at Sasuke.

 _"Naruto..."_ Hinata thought from her spot in the trees watching the whole thing. She thought about trying to stop the fight but decided against it. She knew Sasuke was too proud to listen to her. It was best to just let the two settle their own differences. Besides if things got out of hand there was someone else nearby to stop it.

 _"Sasuke's been training hard. Let's see which one is the stronger of the two now."_ Kakashi thought from his hiding place nearby.

 _"I just hope he isn't stupid enough to use THAT technique."_


	30. Chapter 30

ch. 30

Naruto was fired up and ready to go, after Sasuke's cheap shot. As he charged at him he put his hands in the familiar sign of his favorite jutsu.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" Another Naruto appeared and the original vaulted off of his back and ascended high into the air.

"Wind style: Grand gust jutsu!"

 _"The idiot didn't learn his lesson from last time."_ Sasuke thought as he ran through his hand signs for the grand fireball jutsu. Before he could finish he had to duck a punch from the clone Naruto that was still coming after him.

"No fire for you today!" The clone proclaimed. Sasuke grabbed the clone's arm and threw him at the real Naruto before jumping back and narrowly avoiding the grand gust jutsu. The clone Naruto collided with the original in the air. The clone dispelled and the real Naruto fell to the ground with a thud.

 _"Damn it! This guy is always so quick on his feet."_ Naruto thought as he stood back up.

 ** _"Shadow clones won't work on this guy. Your best bet is to get in close and turn this into a brawl."_**

Naruto charged in again. Sasuke knew he had the advantage from range so he prepared a jutsu to stop Naruto.

"Fire style: Flame carpet jutsu!" Sasuke spat out a stream of fire that lit the area ahead of him ablaze. Naruto had no choice but to back off from the flames.

"Fire style: Grand fireball jutsu!" Sasuke sent another ball of flame toward Naruto. Naruto was forced to block it with the same shield of chakra chains he used in the preliminaries.

"You can't hide in there forever." Sasuke said after a few seconds of Naruto hiding behind his shield.

All of a sudden Naruto exploded out of the ground and grabbed Sasuke in a sleeper hold. The chakra chain shield dissipated revealing a hole.

"I'm a pretty good digger even though I'm not an earth affinity." Naruto said as he attempted to put Sasuke to sleep. Sasuke fell to his knees as his conciousness faded.

 ** _"Keep this hold strong Naruto. You'll win if you keep it up a few more seconds."_** Naruto's grip tightened. He wanted to get this fight over with before he lost any more precious time.

 _"Not... Like... THIS!"_ Sasuke began fighting back with intensity. He grabbed Naruto's arm and managed to loosen the hold enough for him to breathe.

 ** _"DON'T RELINQUISH YOUR HOLD!"_**

It was too late. Sasuke broke free and he used Naruto's arm to throw him. Naruto managed to land safely but Sasuke was on him instantly with a barrage of punches.

"I WON'T LOSE A SECOND TIME!" Sasuke screamed as he bombarded Naruto with punch after punch. Naruto eventually caught one of Sasuke's punches and began squeezing his fist as hard as he could, making Sasuke wince from the pain.

"AND I WON'T LET YOU RUIN THIS DAY!" Naruto yelled before headbutting Sasuke and starting his own barrage of powerful strikes, ending with a punch that sent Sasuke flying several feet away.

"No more fooling around." Naruto put his hands in the familiar cross handsign once again.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" Another Naruto appeared by his side and the two began forming a rasengan.

 _"Where in the world did he learn that!? Was it Jiraiya?"_ Kakashi thought, shocked that Naruto knew his fathers secret technique.

Sasuke wasn't impressed with whatever Naruto was doing. He got an arrogant look on his face and flashed through a few handsigns before grabbing his arm and pointing his hand down.

"You aren't the only one with a new technique." Sasuke said as his hand became engulfed in crackling electricity. Naruto's rasengan completely formed and the two started running at each other.

 _"Those little idiots!"_ Kakashi thought as he prepared to stop the fight before the two could clash.

"SASUKE!" An ear piercing scream echoed through the area making the two boys stop dead in their tracks. They turned to see Sakura staring at the two with a fire in her eyes.

"S-S-S-S-S-SAKURA!?" Sasuke stuttered out shocked.

"I TOLD YOU TO GET OVER YOUR LOSS TO THAT ORANGE WEARING, BLOND HAIRED, GENDER SWAPPING FREAKSHOW!"

"What's wrong with orange?" Naruto stupidly interrupted the enraged female.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" She turned her attention to the cowering Sasuke.

"WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF SASUKE!?"

"... HE STARTED IT!" Sasuke began pointing at Naruto like an immature child.

"BULLSHIT! HE ATTACKED ME FIRST!" Naruto pointed back.

"I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT! YOU TWO ARE ENDING IT RIGHT NOW!" Sakura walked over and got right in Sasuke's face.

"You and I are going to have a long talk today. I'm sick of your stupid obsession with being the strongest ninja." She lectured.

"Yes ma'am." Sasuke said as he looked down ashamed.

"Go home and get washed up. You're still taking me to the hokage's ceremony today."

"Yes ma'am." Sasuke walked off with his head hung low in shame. Sakura turned to Naruto.

"You." Naruto flinched.

"Please don't yell at me." He begged like a scared child.

"You're a disgusting pervert and I can't stand you but one of my best friends likes you."

"Huh?"

"Hurt her and I'll destroy you." Sakura turned around and began walking away. Naruto let out a sigh of relief and fell backwards in a sitting position when Sakura was gone.

"That Uchiha and his girlfriend are a real pain in the ass. How the hell do you deal with those two?" Kakashi landed next to him.

"Sasuke isn't usually so hot headed. You're the only person I've seen to rile him up so badly. Sakura's a different story. She's always finds some excuse to get mad."

"I don't envy you for having to put up with them."

"One of the joys of being a jonin. You'll find out one day." Kakashi began walking away.

"By the way, that was really impressive. I'm sure your father would be proud to know that you learned the rasengan." Kakashi said as he walked away.

 _"So he's my dads last living student."_ Naruto thought with a smile. When he was out of ear shot Naruto turned to a nearby tree.

"You can come down now." He said to Hinata who jumped down from the tree with a cute blush adorning her face.

"Sorry you had to see that. I don't know what it is about me that drives the Uchiha crazy."

"Sasuke never lost a fight before he met you. That's why."

"Seriously? Even you never beat him?"

"No. I never even landed a hit on Sasuke when we had sparring matches in the academy."

"Well I bet you could take him now. You've become super strong since then."

"... Never stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You always say such nice things to me. Never stop doing that." She walked over to Naruto and hugged him tightly.

"I wish you didn't have to leave." She whispered into his ear.

"I wish I could stay too but I can't leave my sister. We have our own lives back in the cloud village." The two began staring into each others eyes.

"I promise this isn't goodbye forever. I'll come back and see you again one day."

"I promise to be waiting here for you when that time comes." The two's faces slowly creeped closer and closer together until they were mere centimeters apart.

"Wait." Hinata backed away.

"There's something important I have to tell you."

"You were the girl I saved from the bullies years ago." Naruto smashed his lips against Hinata's with vigor. Hinata was shocked for a second but she quickly returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm.

"How long have you known?" Hinata asked when they broke the kiss.

"I didn't remember saving you at first but the more time we spent together the more I remembered you from back then." The two kissed again only this time it was a much slower passionate kiss.

"How much longer until the hokage's ceremony?" Naruto asked after they broke the kiss.

"About an hour." Hinata replied

"Good. That gives us plenty of time to ourselves." Naruto pushed Hinata up against a nearby tree.

"We don't know when we'll see each other again so we better make the most of it." Before Naruto could kiss Hinata again he was suddenly spun around so his back was up against the tree.

"I was just about to say the same thing." Hinata said with a smile before slamming her lips onto his.

Meanwhile back at the hotel room Omoi was sitting at a table reading the newspaper.

"All of my teammates are out saying goodbye to the people they met, and I'm just sitting here reading the newspaper." He said aloud to himself.

 **One hour later at the hokage's ceremony**

Almost everyone in the village was gathered outside of the hokage's tower. It was customary for the new hokage to be handed the hat by the old one before being sworn in by the lord of the land of fire. Everyone was waiting for the ceremony to start including all of the ninja.

Sasuke was blushing wildly as Sakura lovingly held onto his arm. Hinata stood with her team but she suspiciously had her hood all the way up. This of course was getting some wierd looks from people including her team.

Naruto and his team were together with all their gear packed and ready to leave as soon as the ceremony was over.

"You look pretty happy Naruto." Omoi whispered to his friend.

"I've had a pretty good day despite the wake up call I had." He made sure he said that quiet enough that Karui didn't hear him.

Everyone went quiet as the third hokage walked out onto the roof of the hokage tower with the lord of the land of fire standing next to him. Tsunade stepped up next and everyone began cheering loudly. After the applause died down Tsunade kneeled down and the third placed the hat on her head. She stood up and the lord of the land of fire began to speak.

"I hereby decree on this day that the fifth hokage of the village hidden in the leaves is Tsunade Senju!"

Everyone began cheering and clapping extremely loud. After this round of applause died down Tsunade stepped forward again and started her own speech.

"I promise to continue the legacy of my family and lead this village with honor and dignity!"

There was yet another round of applause as her and the others went back inside the building. The crowd started dispersing afterward and everyone started going back to their daily routine.

"Let's go say bye to the boob lady real quick." Naruto suggested.

"Naruto, we really need to get going now." Yugito said.

"She'll get mad at us if we don't sis. I know she'll be expecting a goodbye from you too."

Yugito relented and the group made their way into the tower. Meanwhile Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were all talking together outside when Shizune came over to them.

"Excuse me. You three are Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Hyuga correct?"

"Yeah." Sakura answered.

"Lady Tsunade would like to have a word with you three. Please come with me."

Inside the tower Naruto and his team met up with Tsunade in her new office.

"Lady Tsunade, we came by to tell you that we're leaving. We just wanted to say goodbye before we left." Yugito said respectfully.

"You don't need to be so formal Yugito come here." Tsunade stood up and pulled the woman into a hug.

"What about me?" Naruto complained.

"I didn't forget you." She said as she pulled Naruto into his own hug.

"You two promise to come visit sometime?" She asked the two.

"Of course." They both answered.

A knock could be heard at the door.

"We should get going now. We can't monopolize all of the new hokage's time." Yugito said. The group left through the door passing by Shizune and the three girls on the way out. Naruto and Hinata winked at each other as they passed. A gesture that went unnoticed by all but one person.

 _"The hell?"_ Tsunade thought when she noticed the gesture.

"I brought the three girls you suggested lady Tsunade." Shizune said.

"Good. Now I bet you three are wondering why I brought you here. Quite frankly I've reviewed the academies recent curriculum and I'm disgusted. Not a single class on medical ninjutsu. I plan on adding that to the curriculum as soon as possible but before I can do that I need more good medics. That's why you three are here. You three are reported to have amazing chakra control. That's why I plan on taking you under my wing and teaching you the secrets of being a combat medic. I've already asked your parents and they all agree this is a good opportunity for you. You can decline if you like but know that this is a rare opportunity to be chosen by a sannin as a student."

"Are you kidding me? Why the hell would I say no to this?" Sakura blurted out.

"I'm with Sakura." Ino answered.

"Medical ninjutsu sounds invaluable. I would be honored to learn from you lady hokage." Hinata answered respectfully.

"Excellent. All three of you report here tomorrow morning at six for your first lesson."

"Yes ma'am." All three girls sounded out before turning to leave.

"Miss Hyuga, stay here I have some questions to ask you." Hinata turned around confused but listened to the hokage.

"Shizune give us some privacy." Shizune did as instructed and left, shutting the door behind her.

"Let me see them."

"Lord hokage?"

"You have your hood up like that because you have hickies. Show them to me and I can get rid of them." Hinata began blushing a deep red.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I"

"I'm not judging you sweety. I was young once too." Tsunade stood up and pulled Hinata's hood down. She was right of course. Hickies were all over the lower part of her neck and throat.

"What's his name?" Tsunade asked. She was only pretending not to know of course. She figured it was Naruto after the two shared the wink earlier.

"It's a secret to everybody." Hinata said with the deep blush still on her face. Tsunade's hands started to glow green and she went to work getting rid of the love marks on the young teenagers body.

Elsewhere Naruto and his team were making their way to the front gates of the village to start their journey home.

"I have a feeling we're forgetting something. Something important." Naruto said aloud.

"YO!" Killer Bee said as he walked over to the group. Jiraiya walking next to him.

"What the hell? Where in blue blazes have you been the past week? I figured you just went home on your own." Naruto said to his mentor.

"I was out celebrating the start of a beautiful new friendship." Killer Bee and Jiraiya fist bumped.

"Did you two go out to a whore house or something?" Naruto asked the two perverted adults.

"Ha! What kind of question is that? Of course we did." Jiraiya answered back with no shame.


	31. Chapter 31

ch. 31

"HONEY, I'M HOME!" Naruto yelled as he kicked in the raikage's office door.

"IRON CLAW!" The raikage roared as he grabbed Naruto's face and began to squeeze.

"AAAHHH!" Naruto screamed.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT COMING INTO MY OFFICE!?"

"KNOCK FIRST!"

The raikage let go of Naruto's face and the boy slumped to the ground.

Another man in the room cleared his throat. He was a tall well dressed man. He wore an expensive suit and tie and looked like a run of the mill business man. His long brown hair was tied into a ponytail and his eyes were hidden from view with sunglasses.

"I take it this is the boy you were telling me about? The one who helped bring Gato to justice?" The man asked.

"Yeah this is him." The raikage answered.

Yugito and the rest of Naruto's team walked in at this point.

"... I told that boy not to barge in again. He never listens to me." Yugito said when she saw the sorry shape of her little brother.

"Yugito, you and Naruto stay here. Omoi and Karui are dismissed." The raikage ordered.

Omoi and Karui bowed before leaving.

"Now let's get down to business." The raikage took his seat.

"I have a mission for Naruto." The raikage explained.

This news snapped Naruto out of his iron claw induced daze.

"What kind of mission?" The boy asked enthusiastically.

"Allow me to explain lord raikage." The man spoke up.

"My name is Takamaru. After you assisted in bringing the criminal Gato to justice rumors started coming out that he had an illegitimate son that took over his criminal empire. I have reason to believe that this new Gato wants me dead. You see, I was the man who put the hit out on the first Gato." The man explained.

"So you want protection from this supposed son of Gato?" Yugito asked.

"Precisely."

"I'm assigning Naruto the duty of protecting Mr. Takamaru. Tomorrow Naruto is to escort him to the nearby city of Rico for an important business deal then to escort him back here."

"Lord raikage I must object. We've only just come back from the chunin exams. Can't you give Naruto just a little more time off before putting him on such a dangerous mission?"

"I don't have a choice Yugito. After the attack on the leaf village we started receiving a lot of missions that would usually go to them. I can't spare anyone else. Besides, don't you want to give Naruto a chance to really shine now that he's become a chunin."

"Lord raikage I still... what did you say?" Yugito asked shocked.

"WOAH,WOAH,WOAH,WOAH! Did he just say Chunin? Please tell me he just said chunin!"

"I'd give you the standard issue chunin uniform but I know you wouldn't wear it anyway."

"I'M A CHUNIN!" Naruto started jumping up and down like a happy child.

"I'M A CHUNIN SIS!" Naruto jumped up and started hugging his sister tightly.

"Naruto, go home and get ready to leave tomorrow. Meet Mr. Takamaru here at eight o'clock. Until then you are dismissed." The raikage ordered.

"Yes sir!" Naruto enthusiastically answered before running out of the room.

"I'll head over to my hotel. I have a few more things to get in order for the meeting." Mr. Takamaru said before also taking his leave.

"Lord raikage are you really sure he's ready for a mission like this? Can't you send me with him?" Yugito asked.

"No, I need you for more important missions. You should have more faith in the boy. Bee told me about his accomplishments in the exams. I know he's ready for a simple bodyguard mission."

"... Yes sir." Yugito relented.

Later at Naruto and Yugito's house, Naruto was throwing cups of instant ramen from the kitchen cabinet into his bag for his next mission when Yugito came up behind him and pulled him into a loving hug.

"Sis?"

"Do you remember back when I first adopted you? I made sure to hug you every day so that you would know how special you are to me. You were, and still are my baby. I just can't believe you've grown so fast."

"Sis..." Naruto turned around and returned the hug.

"Promise me that you'll be careful on this mission."

"I promise sis. And Kurama promises to watch my back."

 ** _"I would have liked some time to train you on how to control my full power but a mission is a mission."_**

"Just you wait and see sis. I'll have this mission done in no time flat." Naruto said as he flashed his signature grin.

Yugito smiled and hugged Naruto even tighter.

The next day Naruto and Mr. Takamaru were making their way to the front gate of the village. They were greeted at the gate by Yugito and the rest of Naruto's team.

"You guys come to see me off?" Naruto asked.

"What else would we be standing here for dumbass?" Karui spat before getting a firm hand to the back of her head from Yugito.

"Don't cuss."

"The raikage is a slave driver for making you do this right after getting back from the chunin exams." Omoi said.

"I don't mind. It's just another opportunity for me to show how awesome I am." Naruto boasted.

"Uh... Naruto?" Karui said,

"Yeah Karui?"

"I uh... Just wanted to say that I'm... Sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"You know... A few days ago... When I woke you up."

"Oh that. I accept your apology. You know, you should really be more considerate of other people's privacy." Karui looked like she was about to smack Naruto for that comment but Yugito put her hand on her shoulder and calmed her down.

 _"This perverted little peeping tom is the last person to be giving me a lecture on respecting privacy."_ She angrily thought.

"Naruto, remember to be careful. Oh, and remember to brush your teeth every morning and change your under"

"SIS!"

"Hahaha" Mr. Takamaru chuckled.

"We should really get going now. We're on a schedule." Naruto said with a blush. Yugito grabbed Naruto in a tight hug before letting him leave.

"Be safe!" She yelled before Naruto disappeared from view entirely.

"I WILL!" He yelled back.

"You have a very nice team it seems." Mr. Takamaru said as the pair travelled.

"Yeah. They can be a pain sometimes but there's no one I'd rather have by my side in a fight."

"You're lucky to have such loyal comrades. If only I was so lucky in the world of business."

"What do you mean?"

"Gato wasn't the only corrupt business man in the world. There are a lot more where he came from. Some of them worse."

"That reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. Why exactly did you put the hit out on Gato in the first place?"

"...I'd rather keep that to myself if you don't mind."

"Okay. How about this then? Why did you only hire one bodyguard?"

"The price I put on Gato's head was sizeable. I don't have too much money left in my own pocket so I couldn't afford a whole squad."

"What's up with this meeting we're heading for?"

"I'm selling my company for a generous amount and retiring early. Once that's done I'm dropping off the grid and living the rest of my life somewhere comfortable. Somewhere I won't have to worry about Gato jr. breathing down my neck if he turns out to be more than a rumor."

"One more question. What does your company do exactly?"

"How old are you kid?"

"Old enough to legally murder and steal."

"Hm, I suppose that was a silly question to ask a ninja. Alright then, my company is named love tap. Ever heard of us?"

Naruto looked at Mr. Takamaru in shock.

"Love tap?" You mean THE love tap? As in the guys who make the greatest adult movies ever?!"

"So you're a fan?"

"Dude, I freaking LOVE your companies' movies!"

"It's always nice to meet a fan. Just curious, which of our girls is your favorite?"

"Aw man, I'd have to say that it's that one girl with the pale skin and the really big boobs. You know, the one with the green hair. She wears the white shirt with the red leather pants sometimes."

"Morrigan."

"Yeah that's the one! Is she nice in person? I've always wanted to meet her."

"Morrigan is the nicest person in the world if you treat her with respect. Make her mad though and she'll make your life a living hell."

"My kind of woman! She was amazing in the movie where she was the widow and the young guy was in love with her."

"That's our most popular movie by far."

"Yeah, I really like how you guys make real movies with story and stuff. It's a hundred times better than the run of the mill sleazy crap that's all over the place."

"We at love tap hold ourselves to a high standard. Some of our girls made up the motto, class before ass."

"Hahaha, that's a good motto."

The two continued to converse for awhile before they came to a fork in the road in front of a towering mountain.

"Which way do we go?" Naruto asked.

"Both routes lead us around the mountain to where we need to go but the path on the right is longer. The left path is shorter but there's been a string of bandit attacks there in the last couple of weeks.

"I can handle a few pansy bandits." Naruto proclaimed.

"Are you sure about that? I don't doubt your skills but it might be easier if we go the long way."

"Well, it's your decision. I'll go along with whatever you say."

"Hmm." The man put his hand on his chin and started weighing the pros and cons.

"I guess it'd be alright if we take the shorter path. We'd get to Rico city a few hours faster that way."

The two made their way down the shorter path being weary of their surroundings the whole way. It was mostly uneventful until they started reaching the end of the trail.

"There are three bandits waiting in the trees. They don't seem too powerful so I think I can take them. On a count of five I'm going to jump them before they get a chance to do the same to us." Naruto whispered to Mr. Takamaru.

Mr. Takamaru nodded in understanding.

"Five, four, three, two, one." Naruto silently counted off before jumping into a nearby tree. The sound of a tussle could be heard from the tree for a few seconds before three teenagers tied up together came flying out of the tree. Naruto soon followed. As he looked over the three he couldn't help but feel like he knew them from somewhere.

"You three look kind of familiar. Have I kicked your asses before?"

"You mean you seriously don't remember us? The spiky haired boy of the group asked.

"Nope." Naruto said.

"I have my entire face covered in bandages and you seriously can't remember someone as unique as that?" The leader said.

"It's not that unique. I've seen a guy like that in a comic book once. What was his name again? It started with an N. Ah, I'll remember it later." Naruto said.

"You've got to remember me right? You couldn't possibly forget someone as beautiful as me." The lone female said.

"Nope, can't remember you either. You three must not have been very noteworthy for me to forget you so easily."

"OH COME ON! YOU SAW US NOT EVEN TWO MONTHS AGO!" The spiky haired boy screamed.

"Wait a sec... YOU GUYS ARE THE IDIOTS I BEAT IN THE CHUNIN EXAMS!"

"YES! FINALLY HE REMEMBERS!" The girl yelled out.

"What happened to you guys after that? Why are you robbing people like petty bandits?"

"After we lost our fight to you we couldn't go back to the sound village or else we risked Orochimaru killing us. We decided to run away. We've been stealing what we need to survive since then." The leader explained.

"But Orochimaru is dead. You guys still can't go back to the sound village?"

"The sound village isn't a true village. It's a glorified criminal empire. Whoever the new leader is would probably kill us just the same as Orochimaru."

"Okay but that doesn't explain why you three became bandits. You could have gone straight and found honest work."

"Look at us. Do we look like the kind of people who could hold down a normal job? If we can't be ninjas then what other choice do we have?"

"If I may make a suggestion, you three could become freelance ninja for hire. There have been a couple of groups like that popping up recently." Mr. Takamaru said.

"These three aren't good enough ninja for that though." Naruto said as he turned around to face Mr. Takamaru.

"I don't know about that." Mr. Takamaru pointed and Naruto turned to see that the three had managed to escape from the rope confining them and were running away at top speed down the road.

"Damn it!" Naruto yelled. He was about to start chasing after them but Mr. Takamaru grabbed his shoulder.

"Forget about them Naruto. Let's just head for Rico city."

"You're right. I can't waste important mission time on those three."

The two continued their journey and soon reached Rico city. Rico city was a big place known for it's casino. The two quickly made their way to the hotel and checked in for the night.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Naruto asked as they made their way to the room.

"Tomorrow morning I'm going to finalize the sale of my company. As soon as that's over we head back to the cloud village and I disappear."

"Do you want me to be in the room with you while you have your meeting?"

"No, just wait outside. I don't want to send the wrong impression by bringing a ninja into the meeting. They may see it as me trying to intimidate them."

"Okay. I'll only come in if you holler for me or if I think that you're in danger."

The two made it to their room and walked in.

"Woah!" Naruto was in awe of the beautiful room they just walked into. The walls were painted an astonishing golden color and there were beautiful green drapes and matching carpet. It even had a balcony that you could walk out on for some fresh air.

"And this is one of the cheap hotels in this city." Mr. Takamaru said as he grabbed Naruto's hanging jaw and closed it for him.

"Wow! I wonder what the expensive hotels look like."

"They're indescribable. I spent my wedding night in one of them."

"You're married?"

"Was married."

"Oh... sorry about that."

"It's alright. It was a happy marriage while it lasted" Mr. Takamaru said as he walked over to one of the beds in the room and placed his suitcase down in front of it. He laid himself out on the bed and yawned as he began to relax from his journey. Naruto did the same thing over on the bed next to him.

After a few minutes of lounging Mr. Takamaru stood up.

"I'll be taking a shower." He took a set of spare clothes from his bag and walked over to the bathroom.

"I'll be out on the balcony. I need some fresh air." Naruto said before Mr. Takamaru went into the bathroom.

"We spent the whole day outside. You didn't get enough fresh air then?"

"You can never get enough fresh air!"

"Hahaha, that's true." Mr. Takamaru went into the bathroom. When he heard the sound of running water, Naruto walked out to the balcony.

"I know you're there." Naruto said as he sat down at a table that was out on the balcony.

"I could never sneak up on you. Even when you were a snot nosed five year old." A voice came from above.

"Shut the hell up and tell me what you're doing here Tadakatsu."

Tadakatsu dropped from the balcony above and sat down at the table across from Naruto.

"Is that any way to treat family?"

"You aren't my family. I don't care if we're both Uzumaki. I will never consider you my family."

"Still easy to piss off I see. You haven't changed."

"I'm on a mission. Tell me what you want."

"I just wanted to come see you. We Uzumaki need to stick together."

"Quit lying. Tell me what you want before I kick your ass."

"Fine then. Now that Orochimaru is dead I've decided to rebuild the Uzumaki clan."

"And you want me to help you?"

"I couldn't care less about you. Karin was the one who asked me to find out where you were and ask you to join us."

"Karin?"

"Yeah, you remember her right? She was the one who could heal people by letting them bite her."

"Of course I remember her. She was the only other decent human being in that entire place. She actually took care of me unlike you and that psycho Tayuya."

"Yeah, well there was a reason she took care of you so much." Tadakatsu took out a scroll and unravelled it on the table in front of Naruto.

"This is a family tree of the Uzumaki clan that Orochimaru pieced together. There are some holes in it but there is one branch you'll be interested in."

He pointed out one of the branches and Naruto looked over it. The shock on his face was evident.

"This can't be true."

"Oh it's true alright. Orochimaru was thorough in his research."

The branch that Naruto was looking at was his own. It had a picture of his mother and under it was a picture of him with a line connecting the two. The part that had him so shocked was that next to the picture of his mother was a picture of another woman. This woman looked a lot like his mother but a little bit older. This woman's picture was connected to a picture of Karin.

"Karin is my cousin..."


	32. Chapter 32

ch. 32

Naruto stared down at the scroll with his mouth open in shock.

"Does Karin know about this?" He asked.

"Yeah. She made me promise to bring you back." Tadakatsu stood up.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. You should know that your client was right to hire you. Gato's son is real and he wants him dead."

Naruto looked up at Tadakatsu suspiciously.

"How exactly do you know that?"

"I did a little recon in this hotel before you got here. There's a group of thugs planning to interrupt the meeting tomorrow. They mentioned Gato jr. while I was eavesdropping on them. Here." Tadakatsu tossed a key to Naruto.

"I swiped that key from room service. You can go in there and take care of them if you want. They aren't much of a threat." Tadakatsu walked over to the railing of the balcony.

"I'll give you until tomorrow to think about my offer. Think hard about it. Karin is the last living relative that you've got." Tadakatsu jumped over the railing leaving Naruto alone.

 ** _"Naruto..."_**

 _"Leave me alone to think for awhile Kurama."_

 ** _"You can't seriously be considering his offer?"_**

 _"I'm not, but at the same time I can't just leave my cousin with that guy. She's likely to get killed hanging around with him. Just let me think of something."_

Naruto decided to take a closer look at the scroll Tadakatsu had left behind. He wasn't lying when he said Orochimaru's research was thorough. It was huge, detailing at least one hundred different branches of the Uzumaki clan. He was skimming through the scroll when he came to Tadakatsu's branch.

"Huh?" Naruto noticed that the spot where Tadakatsu's parent should have been didn't have a picture but it had writing. encircled by a seal. Naruto recognized it as a common adhesive seal.

"Name: Hitomi Uzumaki

Status: Deceased

Hitomi Uzumaki's time as a prostitute makes it difficult to determine the father of her child, Tadakatsu."

 ** _"Naruto, there may be similar notes under the rest of the pictures."_**

Naruto pushed some chakra into the picture of Tadakatsu and the adhesive seal under it turned off allowing him to take out the picture and see the notes underneath.

"Name: Tadakatsu Uzumaki

Status: Alive

Tadakatsu Uzumaki shows signs of a demented mental state and sexual deviancy. Determining the father is difficult due to his mothers time as a prostitute."

Naruto put the picture back and did the same thing to his branch of the clan starting with his mother.

"Name: Kushina Uzumaki

Status: Deceased

The second host of the nine tailed fox and wife of the fourth hokage. Her son Naruto has inherited many of her traits including the ability to form chakra chains. "

Naruto put the picture to the side, wanting to keep it for himself. He took a look at his description next.

"Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Status: Alive

Naruto Uzumaki is a subject of much interest. His birth was unique in that he is the first child ever born from a female jinchuriki while she hosted the demon."

 _"Is that true Kurama?"_

 ** _"I wouldn't know. I do know that Mito had her children before she hosted me so it's a possibility."_**

Naruto went back to reading the notes on him.

"His mother's pregnancy lasted ten months instead of the usual nine and he has inherited an enhanced healing property. It is unknown if this healing property is due to the circumstances of his birth, his jinchuriki status, or a combination of both."

Naruto put the picture back and decided to look at Karin's mother next.

"Name: Kasumi Uzumaki

Status: Deceased

Older sister of Kushina Uzumaki. Left her parent's home and married a ninja from the grass village. Her and her husband died in an attack on the village leaving Karin an orphan."

Naruto decided to keep this picture as well. Now he was reading the notes on his cousin.

"Name: Karin Uzumaki

Status: Alive

Karin Uzumaki has developed an interesting ability. Her chakra boosts the natural healing capabilities of anyone who takes it in to their body. Testing shows that the most efficient way to do this is by biting into her skin. This seems to be an ability unique to her, similar to how Kushina Uzumaki and her son have the unique ability to form chakra chains.

Further testing shows that this unique ability comes at a price. If Karin uses this ability too many times without rest she could die."

Naruto heard Mr. Takamaru turn off the water in the bathroom so he swiftly rolled up the scroll and stashed it along with the pictures of his family in his bag. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Mr. Takamaru walked out of the bathroom with the towel tied around his head and wearing a bathrobe.

"Were you watching a soap opera or something? I heard something about rebuilding a clan and cousins." Mr. Takamaru asked.

"Yeah, it was some stupid soap opera about some guy who finds out his cousin is helping some crazy guy rebuild their destroyed clan. It was boring so I changed the channel." Naruto said as he flipped through the channels.

"You killed my father. Prepare to die." A man on the television said as he brandished his sword at a six fingered man. Naruto was interested in this movie but he hated not seeing a movie from begining to end. He changed the channel after making a mental note to find and watch this movie later.

He kept flipping through the channels until he found one he was interested in.

"Holy crap! I haven't seen this show since I was eight years old!" Naruto yelled excitedly.

The show was a low budget action series where a group of five teenagers wearing bright and colorful suits fought against alien invaders with the help of giant robots.

"I love this show." Naruto said aloud as his attention became fixed on the screen.

 ** _"Naruto, shouldn't you go take care of the thugs Tadakatsu told you about?"_**

 _"I'll go after this episode."_

 ** _"God damn it Naruto. I remember now why Yugito forbid you from watching this show. You turn into a zombie when you watch this crap."_**

Naruto ignored him.

 ** _"You know if you really want to watch this so bad you could just leave a shadow clone behind."_**

 _"That's not a bad idea."_ Naruto used his favorite jutsu and next to him on the bed was another Naruto who had his attention fixed on the television. He jumped out of the bed.

"I'm going to do a little recon. You stay here with my clone. I'll be back in a few minutes."Mr. Takamaru nodded and Naruto left the room.

Naruto took a look at the key Tadakatsu gave him to see what room it was for.

"Penthouse suite." He read aloud. He walked toward the elevator and pressed the button to bring it to his floor. The door opened and Naruto walked in, giving a polite wave to the other person in the elevator.

"Are you heading up or down?" The young man asked.

"I'm heading up but I'm in no hurry so if you were heading down you can go first."

"Thanks." The boy said as he pressed the button to go to the ground floor.

The two stood there for a few seconds in silence. Naruto tried not to stare at the boy but he found his curiosity piqued by the boys appearance. Naruto could tell it was a male thanks to his thorough research into the female form during his time developing the sexy jutsu but anyone else would have confused this boy for a female. His face was feminine and he wore a pink kimono that was quite girlish in design.

"Would you mind not staring please?" The boy asked.

"Sorry about that." Naruto apoligized.

They were silent for a few more seconds but Naruto couldn't keep silent for long.

"So what's your name?" He asked.

"Haku, and before you ask no I'm not interested in going out with you."

"I wasn't going to ask you out. I'm not into guys."

Haku turned to Naruto surprised.

"You can tell that I'm a boy?" He asked.

"Yeah. I study a lot of anatomy, so I can tell that you're a male despite how feminine you look."

"You're the only person who I've met that didn't think I was a girl at first. As you can imagine I get a lot of unwanted attention for it."

Naruto held out his hand to Haku.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Pleased to meet you Haku."

Haku took Naruto's hand and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Naruto."

"So what brings you to Rico city?" Naruto asked as he broke the handshake.

"I came to town to see some old friends. What about you?"

"Official ninja business." Naruto pointed to his headband.

"I see. Well I hope all goes well for you."

The elevator reached ground floor and Haku walked out.

"It was nice meeting you Haku." Naruto said as Haku walked away.

"Likewise Naruto. I hope we see each other again someday." Haku said back. The doors closed and Naruto pushed the button to go up to the penthouse suite.

While Naruto attended to his mission, Haku left the hotel and walked into a nearby alley.

"It's no good. The demon brothers don't want to join back up with us." He said aloud in the alley.

"It can't be helped then. It'll just be us from now on." A voice came from the shadows.

"What do we do now? Do we stay and look for work in this city, or do we move on to someplace else?"

"Let's get out of here. While you were talking to the demon brothers I saw one of the jinchuriki walking into the hotel. I don't want any part of one of those people."

"Did this Jinchuriki have blond hair and wear orange?"

"Yeah. You saw him?"

"I talked with him in the elevator. He was a nice kid. He seemed like the kind of person I could be friends with easily. I hope I get to meet him again someday."

A large man with an enormous sword strapped to his back came out of the shadows.

"You're soft Haku. You want to make friends with everyone."

"There's nothing wrong with making friends Zabuza. Maybe you should try it someday."

 _ **AU Note: Check out my profile for a new poll that I put up. Opinions are appreciated.**_


	33. Chapter 33

ch. 33

The elevator opened and Naruto found himself in a hallway leading to a huge and elaborate double door.

 _"Gato jr. spared no expense for these guys."_

 ** _"I can sense the thugs on the other side of the door. There's five of them. Three of them don't feel very powerful but the other two may be trouble. Hold on. The two strong ones just left out the window. They're heading for the roof. That just leaves the three other guys."_**

 _"I think we can take them no problem. Let's kick down the door and start busting heads."_

 ** _"NO!"_**

 _"Why not? As long as I have you I know we can take them."_

 ** _"Think about the hotel. If we cause any property damage the village will be responsible for it. Do you want to give the raikage another excuse to put you in the iron claw? This situation requires a subtle approach. Listen up for a second. I've got an idea."_**

On the other side of the door the thugs were talking over their plan. There were three of them sitting around a table in the center of the room. They all wore business suits, most likely so the hotel staff wouldn't find them suspicious.

"I don't understand why we can't just go down there and kill the bastard right now." One of the thugs said.

"The boss wants to make an example out of him. We're to break in during the meeting and kill him there in front of everyone." Another thug said.

A knock came from the door.

"That must be room service with the food I ordered." The third thug said. He walked over to the door and opened it. To his surprise there was an adorable little girl standing there with a box of cookies in her arms.

"Excuse me sir, I was just wondering if you wanted to buy some girl scout cookies. I only need to sell one more box." The adorable little girl smiled as she talked.

The thug's icy heart melted at the sight of the adorable child and he pulled out his wallet intent on buying the box.

"I'll take it sweetheart." The man paid the little girl and took the box inside.

 _"I can't believe that just worked. How did you come up with that idea?"_ Naruto thought as he dispelled his transformation.

 ** _"You're mother used to do the same thing as a prank."_**

 _"I'll have to remember this one for later."_

On the other side of the door the man sat down at the table with his two cohorts and opened the box.

"What flavor of cookie is that?" One of the others asked.

"It doesn't say on the box." He reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper with a seal written on it.

"What the heck is this thing?" He asked right before the seal went off and released a cloud of gas into the room. When the smoke cleared all three men were fast asleep.

Naruto walked into the room.

 _"Man these three were stupid."_

 ** _"We won't be able to take care of the other two so easily. Don't let your guard down."_**

Naruto tied the three up and tossed them into one of the bedrooms.

 _"You got any plans to take care of the last two?"_

 ** _"Let's sneak up to the roof and see what they're doing up there. After that we'll formulate some kind of plan."_**

Naruto jumped out the window and clung to the side of the wall using his chakra. He climbed the short distance to the roof but stopped just underneath the ledge when he heard the voices of the last two enemies.

"I don't know about this bro. Zabuza may have been a slave driver but he at least had some sense of loyalty and honor. This Gato jr. punk may try and screw us."

"I don't regret the time we spent with Zabuza but it was time for us to move on. We can make more money working for Gato jr. than we could make with Zabuza."

"I guess that you're right. Maybe I can finally save enough money to buy that thing I've always wanted."

"You mean a woman willing to sleep with your ugly ass?"

"You know, that probably isn't the kind of thing you should say to your identical twin."

 _"What do you reckon Kurama?"_

 ** _"We may have to fight these two. I don't think we'll be able to trick them like the others."_**

Naruto dug in his pouch and pulled out a smoke grenade.

 _"Let's make this quick. I want to get back to the room and watch t.v."_

Naruto tossed the smoke grenade onto the roof, engulfing it in a dark cloud. Naruto wasted no time in jumping onto the roof and running into the cloud.

He rushed toward one of the two men intent on ending it quickly but he had to jump back when the man spun around and almost slashed Naruto with a huge metal claw. The second man appeared behind Naruto and almost took his head off but Naruto was able to duck and roll away before it was too late. Naruto retreated from the cloud of smoke followed by the two enemies.

"Ha! This punk kid thinks he can handle the demon brothers!"

"Let's teach him a lesson, bro."

"With pleasure."

The brothers rushed at Naruto but he kept his cool and prepared his favorite jutsu.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Ten naruto's appeared and all but one went to stall the demon brothers. As the clones fought them off the real Naruto and the last clone were preparing a rasengan.

One of the brothers finished off his share of the clones and dashed straight at Naruto. Naruto ducked the man's attack and slammed the rasengan into his stomach. The demon brother flew into the air screaming in pain. He went so far he was clear of the roof and was falling down to the street below.

"BROTHER!" The other screamed.

"Go get him!" Naruto ordered to his clone.

The clone ran to the edge of the building and shot a chakra chain toward the falling demon brother. He managed to catch him around the waist.

While the clone was busy pulling up the defeated brother the other one finished off the rest of Naruto's clones With a single mighty swing of his claw.

"Who the hell are you!?" The demon brother asked the original.

"Why would you save an enemy like that? We're not worth any more alive than dead."

"I'm not here for the bounty on your head. I'm here to protect my client. As for why I saved your brother, I just prefer not to kill people if I can help it." Naruto answered.

"Protect your client? You mean Takamaru? That's impossible. We were told that he hadn't hired any ninja."

"Well then, you got bogus info. I'm going to protect Mr. Takamaru with my life, or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Uzumaki?"

"Yeah, Uzumaki! Got a problem with my name?"

"... If you let me take my brother I'll leave without a fight."

"Huh? That easy?"

"Yes, that easy. We have a deal or no?"

"Sure we have a deal. What about the other three?"

"Send them to jail for all I care. They were local thugs Gato jr. made us pick up. Dead weight is all they were."

"Okay..."

Naruto's clone brought over the unconscious demon brother and true to his word the other brother left with him.

 ** _"Something about this doesn't smell right. They should have known Takamaru hired a bodyguard."_**

 _"We can think about it later. First we have to take those other three to jail."_

While Naruto was busy with that, the demon brother made his way out of the city with his unconscious twin slung over his back.

"Bro?" The other brother said as he awoke.

"You're awake. Good. That kid nailed you with a really strong jutsu. I was worried for awhile." They stopped on the roof of a building near the edge of town. The injured brother got off his twins back but couldn't stand on his own for very long.

"What happened? Did you beat that kid?"

"The kid gave me a chance to retreat with you so I took it. That boy was the targets bodyguard."

"What the hell? We were told that the target couldn't afford a bodyguard."

"Looks like we were played. I found out that the boys last name was Uzumaki."

"What?! That scumbag set us up because that boy was his family!"

"Me and Naruto aren't really family. Our branches of the clan are distant from each other. That's a good thing too since I've been banging his cousin daily."

The two brothers looked up to see Tadakatsu staring down at them from a nearby water tower.

"Tadakatsu! Why the hell did you sell us bogus information?"

"Nothing personal. Like I said, I'm nailing that guys cousin. She wants me to bring him over to our side and I always give my girls what they want. So when I found out that the same guy I was looking for was also the same guy protecting the man I was hired to keep tabs on, well I'm sure you guys can fill in the rest."

"You sold us out to get on that boy's good side. You set it up so that we wouldn't expect him and he would have a better chance of defeating us."

"You guys aren't as stupid as you look. It's a pity I'm going to have to kill you now. Can't have you blabbing to Gato jr. about me screwing you over."

"Then what genius? Gato jr. will know that we failed because of your bogus information. He'll try and kill you next."

"I thought of that." Tadakatsu brandished a kunai.

"My cover story is that a bounty hunter came and killed you guys for the price on your heads."

Tadakatsu jumped down from the water tower and slowly made his way toward the pair.

"Naruto made it easy on me. Only one of you is in any shape to fight."

"Bring it you scum! Even by myself I can still destroy you!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Tadakatsu ran at the demon brothers.

The uninjured brother swiped with his massive claw but Tadakatsu ducked it and stabbed the brother in his stomach.

"BRO!" The injured brother yelled out.

Tadakatsu twisted the knife before lifting up the demon brother and smashing him into the ground head first. A sickening snap was heard as the man's neck was broken instantly.

"You sick scum! You won't get away with this!"

"Tough talk from a dead man. Since Naruto already gave you such a sound beating I'll make this quick. I'm really a nice guy after all."

"FUCK YOU!"

Tadakatsu walked over and snapped the other brothers neck.

"Now, should I take the whole bodies or just the heads... Karin just washed this jacket for me so whole bodies it is."


	34. Chapter 34

ch. 34

"What did I miss?" Naruto asked as he walked back into the room.

Instead of answering the clone dispelled and Naruto knew everything that he had missed. He took a seat on the bed in the same spot that his clone was in.

"How did your recon go?" Mr. Takamaru asked from his bed. His nose buried in a book.

"It went alright. I don't think we have anything to worry about tomorrow."

"That's nice to hear."

Naruto turned his full attention back to the T.V.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Naruto kept watching T.V and Mr. Takamaru kept reading his book. Mr. Takamaru went to sleep as soon as it became dark because he wanted to wake up early the next day. Naruto turned the T.V off and went off to the balcony to let him sleep in peace.

Naruto sat out on the balcony, his mind racing with thoughts. He still had family in this world but she was with a psychopath.

 _"I've got to find a way to save her."_ He solemnly thought.

 ** _"Whatever you do you can't go AWOL from the village."_**

 _"I know. I didn't even consider that."_

 ** _"You think that we could convince the raikage to make it a mission?"_**

 _"Maybe. Hey kurama, did you know that my mom had a sister?"_

 ** _"Yes. Shortly before you were born she received word of her death. It was the first time I had ever seen your mother cry before. Your father sat in the bed and held her the entire night as she wept. Had you been born a female you would have been named after her."_**

 _"Did mom know that I had a cousin?"_

 ** _"No. Your aunt severed all ties with her family when she struck out on her own."_**

 _"Why did she leave like that?"_

 ** _"No one knows. If I had to guess I would say that it was because of me."_**

 _"What do you mean?"_

 ** _"I heard that she left not long after Kushina was chosen to be my host. Perhaps she was scared that one day her or her children would be forced into the same situation. That's just my theory though."_**

Naruto started shaking his head comically.

 _"AH! This is all so much to take in. I'm going to be up all night thinking about all this. I need something to focus my mind on for awhile."_

 ** _"Hey Naruto, I remember hearing something interesting from your father about the toad summons."_**

 **In the leaf village**

Hinata laid on her bed exhausted from her day. Not only was she training to become a medic but she was still required to study her clans history and laws in preparation for when she inherited the title of clan head. It was a lot of work but she loved every second of it. She was finally acknowledged by her clan and even a legendary sannin.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her window. She looked up to see a small orange toad looking at her.

 _"A toad... Naruto?"_ She opened up the window immediately and the toad hopped into the room.

"Yo." The toad greeted.

"Were you sent by Naruto?" She asked. The excitement obvious on her face.

"Yeah. He asked me to bring you a letter." The toad opened it's mouth wide and it's tongue shot out holding a letter. Hinata hesitated at first not wanting to touch something that just came out of an animal's body.

"You don't have to worry. We messenger toads apply a seal to all the documents we carry to prevent them from becoming wet from our insides." The toad emphasized this by placing the letter down and spitting on it. Like he said the spit slid off the surface of the letter as if it were laminated.

Satisfied that she wouldn't be exposing herself to toad spit Hinata grabbed the letter and opened it.

"Dear Hinata

I just learned that the toads have these secret portals all over the elemental nations and one of them is near the leaf village! We can use the toads to send each other letters now. So how has it been? Has the boob lady been doing a good job as hokage or has she just been getting drunk a lot. I hope I can come see you again soon but some crazy stuff has happened recently. I just learned that I have a cousin out there that I didn't know about. I'm going to see if I can find her and bring her home. I really miss you and I hope that I can see you again soon.

Yours truly, Naruto." Underneath the writing was an adorable picture of the two young lovers kissing. Behind them was the nine tailed fox who's tails were forming the shape of hearts as it watched over the two.

"I'll be back in the morning to pick up your reply." The toad jumped out the window and Hinata quickly sat down and pulled out some paper and a pen.

"Dear Naruto

I'm so happy that you and I will be able to keep in contact like this. I've missed you a lot too. Things in the leaf village have been going well. Life has been hectic because Tsunade has chosen me and two of my good friends to become her new disciples. Tsunade's assistant Shizune has kept her in line so she's been doing a pretty good job as hokage. I'm really happy to hear about you learning about your cousin. I hope you find her soon.

Best wishes, Hinata." Hinata put the letter down and walked over to her closet. She opened it and pulled out a photo album she had. She flipped through it until she came to a picture of herself that Sakura took when they graduated the academy. It was probably the cutest picture she had of herself. Her face was adorned with a faint blush and she had a beautiful smile that was as radiant as the sun. She put the picture in an envelope with the letter and went to bed with a smile on her face.

She woke up the next morning to the same sound of the toad at the window. She gave him the letter.

"Before I leave I've got something for you." The toad showed her a small piece of paper with a seal on it.

"This seal will glow when I have a delivery for you. Naruto has one too for when you have a delivery for him. When that happens go to the well on the outskirts of the village. If you're receiving then I'll either be waiting for you or I'll leave the note hidden somewhere you can find it with your byakugan. If you're sending then place the letter in the bucket of the well and send it down. Don't worry about it getting wet. Sorry to have to make you do so much but I can't risk coming here and being spotted by your clan anymore. I've been lucky to not be seen already."

"I understand. Thank you for doing this for me and Naruto."

"Don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart. I'm charging Naruto one treat per delivery. The same goes for you too. After this I expect one piece of candy for every letter. I especially like caramel flavored treats."

"I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye."

The toad waved goodbye before taking off.

 _"Naruto... I wonder what you're doing right now."_

 **With Naruto**

 _"HOW THE HELL LONG DOES A BUSINESS MEETING TAKE! WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR AN HOUR ALREADY!"_ Naruto mentally vented to Kurama as he sat outside the door to the meeting room.

 ** _"The man is selling his company, I'm sure he's trying to wring every last cent he can get out of it."_**

 _"AH! I'M SO FREAKING BORED!"_

 ** _"Check the seal the toad gave us. Maybe he's got a reply from Hinata."_**

Naruto pulled out the seal and to his joy it was glowing. He wasted no time in performing the summoning.

"Yo, that was a real pretty lily you have there boss. I can see why you want to keep in touch with her." The toad said as he gave Naruto the letter then disappeared, his duty complete for the moment.

Naruto opened it quickly and read it to himself. He was glad that his plan had worked and now he and Hinata would be able to stay in contact but what he was really happy about was the picture Hinata sent him.

 ** _"Now we won't need to use our imagination when we want to masturbate to her."_**

 _"What's this we stuff? I'm the one who does all the work."_

 ** _"Yeah but we both feel it. Being stuck inside you humans has the occasional perk I must admit."_**

While Naruto was having his mental conversation with Kurama, Mr. Takamaru walked out of the room with two suitcases that he didn't walk in with.

"My work is done here. Let's go home."


	35. Chapter 35

ch. 35

Naruto and Mr. Takamaru exited the hotel, their bags packed and ready for the journey home. They began the trek to the village in silence. Naruto was on edge the whole time. He knew he was going to have to deal with Tadakatsu today. As they travelled he could sense Tadakatsu lagging behind. Naruto could tell he was alone but about halfway back to the village he sensed someone else appear near Tadakatsu.

 _"Of all the people to show up, why did it have to be that loony potty mouth?"_

"What are you doing here Tayuya?" Tadakatsu asked his fellow Uzumaki when she jumped down from a tree and began walking next to him.

"Back up. Just in case the kid wants to fight."

"I told you to stay at the hideout with Karin while she's working. I can handle this by myself."

"I'm sure you can handle the kid just fine, but I'm worried about the fox. My curse mark should be able to counter him."

"Do whatever you want. I'm in no mood to argue."

Naruto and Takamaru kept on their journey with Tadakatsu and Tayuya following slightly behind. Eventually they reached the gates of the village and Naruto stopped.

"You'll be safe now. Head to the raikage's tower."

"You aren't coming?"

"I've got something to take care of. Tell the raikage I'll be right there."

Naruto turned around and began walking back the way he came. Takamaru didn't know what to make of this but did as instructed and made his way toward the raikage's office.

About half a mile back he ran into Tadakatsu and Tayuya.

"What's your answer Naruto?" Tadakatsu asked.

"Why is she here?"

"Just ignore Tayuya. Are you joining us or not?"

"... Fuck you, and fuck her too. I'm gonna find Karin and save her from you." Naruto turned around and began walking away.

"Save her? You act like I'm holding her hostage or something. She's with me because she wants to be. We're going to rebuild our clan with or without you. You might as well be with us."

Naruto turned back around.

"You're insane Tadakatsu. You and your psycho tramp girlfriend there."

Tayuya took out a kunai and pointed it toward Naruto.

"May I kill him now?" She asked Tadakatsu. The tone of her voice making it obvious she was serious. Tadakatsu put his finger on the kunai and lowered it.

"You never liked us Naruto. I've always wondered why."

"Your chakra is disgusting and your heart's are black. You can try and hide it from Karin but eventually she'll realize. You two are evil."

"Evil? What the hell do you know about evil, little boy!? Tadakatsu yelled at Naruto.

"Everything I do is for the future of our clan. You can preach all you want about how morally superior you are but in the end it's all just a bunch of hot air from a childish buffoon. All morals do is get in the way and I won't let anything stop me from rebuilding our clan. Not even you."

Naruto and Tadakatsu eyed each other wearily. It was clear that the two were about to fight.

"Don't interfere." Were Tadakatsu's only words to Tayuya. She nodded, understanding that this was personal.

The two young warriors rushed at each other. They each threw a bone shattering punch and their fists clashed. Naruto jumped away and held his aching fist. He was shocked at how much their clash had just hurt.

"Idiot. My body is just as strong as yours. Probably stronger since I'm older. You can't just muscle through me like you can with everyone else." Tadakatsu was talking tough on the outside but on the inside was a different story.

 _"This can't be right. The difference in our power should be much greater than this. I wasn't that strong at his age."_ He thought as he fought the urge to hold his aching fist as well.

Naruto shook off the pain quick and went back on the offensive.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" He yelled as ten more naruto's appeared.

Tadakatsu wasn't intimidated by the clones and prepared his own counter jutsu.

"Earth style: earthen spikes." He slammed his hands into the ground and rows of thin spikes shot up and began impaling the clones. The real Naruto avoided the spikes by jumping into the air.

Tadakatsu smiled, Naruto reacted just as he predicted. He broke off one of the earthen spikes and tossed it at Naruto like a javelin.

Naruto was unable to move out of the way in time but luckily he was fast enough to pull out a kunai and deflect the spike. It grazed his left side but thankfully the injury wasn't too severe. Naruto landed on his feet clutching his side. There was a little bit of blood but his advanced healing would have that stopped in a few seconds.

"How do you think Karin will act when I tell her you just tried to kill me?" Naruto spat at Tadakatsu.

"I won't let you get close enough to her to tell. I'll never let anyone take a woman I love away from me again."

"What?"

"earth style: Earth lance jutsu." Tadakatsu took his newly formed weapon and charged at Naruto.

Naruto was forced to to go on the defensive as he began dodging Tadakatsu's attacks.

 _"I'm sick of this bastard. Kurama, let's finish this guy."_

 ** _"I thought you'd never ask."_**

Naruto's body was covered in a golden cloak and he was filled with the near limitless chakra of Kurama and instantly the tide of the battle turned in Naruto's favor. With the enhanced speed and strength the chakra gave him he was able to grab Tadakatsu's lance mid stab and break it in two. Tadakatsu jumped away to regroup.

"So this is the power of the nine tails?"

"Tadakatsu?"

"Don't interfere Tayuya. Even with all that power he's still a punk kid." Tadakatsu stabbed his lance back into the ground while making a seal with his free hand. When he pulled it back out the lance was fixed and he charged back at Naruto.

Naruto used the half of Tadakatu's lance he broke off before to block Tadakatsu's initial attack, an overhead strike. Suddenly a tail made of chakra formed out of Naruto's cloak and grabbed Tadakatsu around the waist and flung him into the air.

 _"The hell?"_

 ** _"That was me. When you're in this form I can assist you by forming chakra tails independent of you."_**

 _"Could I make chakra tails as well?"_

 ** _"Yes. I don't know why you would need to though since you can already make your mothers chakra chains."_**

 _"Good point. Speaking of chakra chains."_

Naruto shot a chakra chain up toward Tadakatsu and grabbed him around the waist. He pulled him down and slammed him into the ground hard.

"TADAKATSU!" Tayuya screamed as her body became covered in black marks. She ran over and got in between Naruto and her love.

"I-I told you not to interfere." Tadakatsu said as he forced himself to stand back up. His legs gave out and he fell face first into the dirt.

"I'm not going to let you die fighting this lame ass!"

Tayuya pulled out her flute and put it up to her mouth.

"You're genjutsu won't work on me Tayuya. Don't waste your time."

"Naruto!" A voice was heard from the direction of the village. Suddenly Omoi and Karui appeared.

"Naruto, what's happening?" Karui asked as she and Omoi readied their swords.

Tayuya took this opportunity to assure her and Tadakatsu's escape. She began playing her flute and suddenly Omoi and Karui positioned their swords to stab right through their hearts.

"Guys!? What did you do to them!?"

"You may be immune to my genjutsu but they aren't. Let me take Tadakatsu out of here and I'll let them live. Take one step toward me and I'll have them kill themselves."

Naruto had no choice. He nodded and Tayuya picked up Tadakatsu and slung him over her shoulder.

"Don't try and follow us. If you move before the genjutsu is dispelled your friends are dead."

Naruto simply nodded once more. Tayuya took off with Tadakatsu and left Naruto and his brainwashed team.

Naruto stood there motionless for at least ten minutes before Karui and Omoi snapped out of the genjutsu.

"Naruto? What the hell just happened?" Karui asked as she held her aching head.

"Come with me to the raikage's tower. I want to tell everyone at the same time."

 **Elsewhere**

A man stood staring at the double door of his bosses office scared out of his mind.

"Why do I have to be the one to break the news to him..." The man whispered. He gathered his courage and lightly knocked on the door.

"Enter." A muffled voice could be heard saying from the other side.

The man did as instructed and walked over to the desk of the man. He was lucky. His boss preferred the dark so he was unable to see the man's body behind the shadows. He walked over to the man's desk and bowed slightly.

"I assume you bring me news of mr. Takamaru's fate." The man said calmly.

"Y-Yes sir... The demon brothers failed."

The man took a few steps back expecting to incur the wrath of the man behind the desk. His father was known for his temper after all. Why wouldn't his son have a temper as well? Surprisingly the expected outburst never came.

"Elaborate." The man ordered as calm as can be.

"Well... It appears that a bounty hunter killed them and incapacitated the others. We confirmed that their bounties were recently delivered but it's impossible to know who did it. The bounty organization keeps the identity of their hunters secret."

"You have my thanks for bringing this news to my attention. Make contact with the sound village and arrange another meeting with their leader. I have another job for him."

"Y-Yes sir." The underling quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. He wiped some sweat from his brow and let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

 _"Gato's son is a hundred times more intimidating then Gato ever was."_

 **With Tayuya and Tadakatsu**

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Tadakatsu screamed as his earth lance tore through a tree. His torso bandaged up after the fight with Naruto.

"You're over reacting." Tayuya said as she watched her lovers tantrum.

"THAT PUNK IS NOT BETTER THAN ME! HE ONLY WON BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID FOX!"

"I warned you against fighting him in the first place. You don't have a curse mark."

"So what! Because I don't have a curse mark that makes me weaker than him? Weaker than you?"

"I didn't say that..."

"I'm not weaker than him! I'll fight him again, and next time I'll bring an equalizer for that stupid fox."

"Listen to yourself! You sound like a little bitch. Quit throwing your little hissy fit and get over it." Tayuya punctuated her sentence by slapping Tadakatsu across the face.

"YOU LITTLE!" He screamed as he brought his hand up to strike her. His hand stopped right next to her face but Tayuya didn't even flinch.

"We both know you'd never hit me so don't waste my time acting like you would."

Tadakatsu ran his hand through his hair and composed himself.

"You're right. I would never hit you. I love you way too much for that. There is another way I can take out my aggression on you though." Tadakatsu grabbed Tayuya by the shoulders and pinned her up against a tree before smashing his lips against hers. When they broke for air Tayuya smiled.

"It's been awhile since we did this without Karin. Make it rough."

"I intend to."


	36. Chapter 36

ch. 36

"And that's when we came back here." Naruto explained to his team, his sister, the raikage, and Mr. Takamaru.

"How did you guys even know where I was?" Naruto asked.

"We passed by Mr. Takamaru on his way here. He told us you were acting strange so we decided to go find you." Karui explained.

The raikage rubbed his eyes. This was a lot of information to take in.

"You're all dismissed." He ordered. He needed time alone to think about how to deal with this situation.

Naruto was about to speak up but his sister grabbed his shoulder and dragged him out of the room, his team following behind.

"What's the big idea sis?"

"You and me are having a talk."

Yugito took Naruto home where she sat him down in the kitchen.

"Naruto, I know you must be really confused about this whole situation with your cousin but I need you to promise me that you aren't going to do anything rash like go out and look for her by yourself."

"I'm not that crazy sis. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Good. I promise you that we'll find her. When we do, I hope you don't mind sharing your room." Yugito smiled. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have a little sister."

Naruto stood up and hugged his sister lovingly.

"Thanks sis."

 ** _"Naruto."_**

 _"Yeah Kurama?"_

 ** _"Let's go to one of the training grounds. It's time for me to teach you how to use my power."_**

 **Meanwhile back in the leaf village.**

Hinata was hard at work studying her clans history when her father walked into the library.

"Hinata, come with me." He ordered. Hinata obliged him and followed him to his dojo where Neji and Hanabi were waiting.

"Neji and Hanabi are going to spar. I want you to watch their fight and learn from them. Although you have improved tremendously you still lack the skill in taijutsu that your siblings possess."

"Yes father."

The two sat down on the sidelines and Hiashi motioned for Neji and Hanabi to begin.

The two took their stances and eyed each other. Hanabi was the one to make the first move with a swift jumping kick. Neji blocked it and countered with a swift jab to Hanabi's stomach. Hanabi was sent flying and landed on her back. Using the momentum she rolled back to her feet in time to dodge a roundhouse kick aimed straight at her little head. She sweeped at Neji's legs but he jumped back to avoid it.

"Tell me what you see." Hiashi ordered to his daughter.

"Hanabi's aggressive style isn't a good match up against Neji. His defensive skills are far too great. If Hanabi wants to win she has to slow down and take a more cautious approach to the fight."

"Very good."

Hanabi kept on the offensive with rapid strikes, each one of them blocked by Neji. Hanabi eventually got tired of Neji blocking everything and decided to try something unexpected. She feinted a jab to Neji's stomach and leaped to deliver a jumping punch to Neji's face. She succeeded in tricking Neji and scored a direct hit on his face but her victory was short lived when Neji grabbed her arm and used her momentum to swing her down into a submission maneuver.

"That's enough." Hiashi ordered. Neji let go of Hanabi and the two bowed to each other before bowing to Hiashi.

"Hanabi, raw aggression is not enough to win a fight against an opponent of Neji's caliber. Fighting harder isn't always the answer. Sometimes you need to fight smarter."

"Yes father." Hanabi said as she rubbed her sore arm.

"Neji, you did well but you failed to see past Hanabi's simple ruse. You must learn to expect the unexpected."

"Yes sir."

"Hinata, tend to your sisters arm."

"Yes sir."

Hinata flashed through her hand signs and a green light began radiating from her hands. She began rubbing her sister's arm and the pain immediately subsided.

"Woah, it doesn't hurt anymore. How'd you do that sis?"

"It's just a basic pain killing jutsu. It's the first medical ninjutsu Tsunade taught us."

"Can you teach it to me sis?"

"It's not a jutsu to be taken lightly. If the one using it doesn't have proper chakra control they can accidentally intensify the pain instead of reducing it."

"That's even better! I could kick someone's ass and then make it hurt worse with that jutsu!" Hanabi slapped her hand across her mouth once again as she accidentally cursed in front of her father.

Hiashi began rubbing his eyes.

"I guess you need even more etiquette lessons."

"Yes father." Hanabi gloomily replied.

 _"I hate etiquette lessons."_ She added in her mind.

 **With Karin**

"Are you ready?" Karin asked the sound ninja sitting across from her. The two sat in a lab together with all sorts of strange looking machines. Karin held up a kunai and cut across the ninja's palm making him wince slightly.

"Take it now." She ordered.

The sound ninja took a small blue pill off the table and ate it.

"Woah..." He said as he felt his body fill with energy. Suddenly the wound on his hand began to glow blue and it began rapidly healing itself.

Karin took out a small tape recorder to document her findings.

"It seems that the experiment was a success. By infusing the food pills with my chakra I've created a new kind of medicine. Further testing is required to determine any possible side effects as well as the overall efficiency of the pills compared to taking the chakra directly from my body via bite." Karin put the tape recorder away when she was done.

"I feel like I could wrestle a bear and win." The sound ninja boasted. The wound on his hand disappearing.

"I want you to check in with me every twenty four hours so I can check for any possible side effects."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to do that." The ninja bowed before leaving.

Karin sat in the lab alone for a little while. Her thoughts drifting to her cousin.

 _"Naruto..."_

 **Flashback**

A younger Karin was walking through the halls of one of Orochimaru's many hideouts. The darkness scared her but she kept walking. Eventually she passed by a young Tayuya. Tayuya purposefully walked into her and shoved her out of the way.

"Watch where your going you sissy." She said with disdain.

"I'm sorry." Karin bowed as she apologized.

"Wuss." Tayuya spat on the ground in front of Karin and began walking away.

Karin stared at her back as she walked away.

"Why is she so mean to me?" Karin whispered to herself.

Karin went back to walking through the darkness when Tayuya was out of sight. When she finally reached her destination she took out a key and opened the door.

The room was empty save for a bed in the middle of the room and a bucket next to it. On the bed sat a little boy with golden blond hair and whiskers all over his face. One of his hands chained to the bedpost to prevent him from escaping. He looked up to see the girl and his face instantly began to glow with happiness.

"Karin!" He yelled out.

She walked over to the bed and pulled the boy into a deep and loving hug that he returned.

"Are you okay Naruto? I heard he put you through more experiments today."

"Yeah... He used the needles again. I don't like needles."

"I don't like needles either. Naruto I promise you that one day I'll find a way for us to get away from that evil snake."

She hugged him again and Naruto instinctively bit into her neck. She cradled his head lovingly until he was done.

"Feel better now?" She asked him as she ruffled his hair.

"A lot better. Thank you Karin." He grabbed her in one last hug.

"I love you Karin."

She returned the hug.

"I love you too sweetie."

She left the room and began walking back to her own. She didn't get far before she was confronted by the last person she wanted to see.

"What a beautiful moment between you two." Karin spun around to find herself face to face with Orochimaru.

"I-I was just..."

"You were just playing with your precious little cousin. Too bad for you two that you won't be seeing each other again anytime soon." Orochimaru snapped his fingers and two ninja appeared next to her and grabbed her by the arms.

"Naruto is my cousin?!" She asked shocked.

"Your chakra has a calming effect on the nine tailed fox inside that boy. Every time you give him chakra you're suppressing the beast inside him. It's interfering with my experiments. I'm sending you to another hideout along with the other Uzumaki's just in case."

"Wait, please let me see him one more time. I want to tell him he's my cousin. Please!"

The ninja's dragged her away as she begged to be allowed one more chance to see her beloved cousin.

 **Flashback end**

 _"Naruto, where are you?"_ She thought as a stray tear fell from her face.


	37. Chapter 37

ch. 37

"Impressive." Yugito remarked as she admired the destruction Naruto had caused. The special Jinchuriki training ground was demolished with enormous chunks of debris and huge paw prints everywhere.

"You did a lot better than I did when I first trained with Bee on this technique."

Naruto pulled himself out of one of the cat shaped paw prints and laid down breathing heavy.

"You still demolished me."

"It was your first fight using the full tailed beast transformation. You shouldn't have expected to win."

"I didn't. I expected to do a little better than I ended up doing though."

"You'll get better in time." Yugito helped up Naruto and the two began walking home.

"Naruto, you realize this isn't the kind of technique you can just do in any fight right?"

"Yeah I know. The collateral damage and the danger to civilians and allies and all that other stuff. Kurama already ranted to me about that."

The two finally arrived home and Naruto was about to face plant into the couch before Yugito grabbed him by the collar.

"What? I want to take a nap." Naruto said before letting loose a huge yawn.

"I'm having some of my friends over in a little while." She said with a blush, refusing to look Naruto in the eye.

"If you want you can go out to a movie or something tonight."

"Good. That way I don't have to listen to you boast about how you finally got laid." Yugito's blush deepened.

"Can I take my nap now?"

"You aren't touching that couch until you wash your stinky butt." She dragged him to the bathroom and tossed him in. She heard a loud groan from the other side of the door before the water started.

"Can you bring me a change of clothes sis?"

"Sure thing. Don't take too long. I've got to wash up too."

Naruto was washed and out of the bath in only ten minutes. As he left his house he heard his sister call out to him.

"Be careful!"

"I will!"

Naruto began to wander the town looking for something to do. It was after dinner time so most people were in their homes leaving the streets practically barren. He passed by a small movie theater and looked at the posters to see what was playing.

"Kunoichi strike force." He read aloud when he saw a poster he liked. There was a group of five beautiful women wearing tight leather clothing zipped down just enough to show off their bountiful cleavage.

 ** _"Looks like a low budget action movie that uses sex appeal to attract horny teenagers. Let's watch it."_**

Naruto bought a ticket and went in.

 **Elsewhere**

Tadakatsu walked through the halls of the luxurious mansion, hiding well the discomfort he still had from his fight with Naruto. When he reached his destination he kicked the doors in and walked into the dark office.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked the shadows.

"I've got another job for you." A voice came from the darkness.

"What is it this time? You want me to tail someone else?"

"There's someone I want you to bring me. Someone I believe you know."

A folder flew through the darkness and landed in front of Tadakatsu. He picked it up and smiled as he read the name.

"Yeah I know him. Dead or alive?"

"I need him alive."

"Okay then. You don't mind if I rough him up a bit do you?"

"Do whatever you wish as long as he's alive when you bring him to me."

"About my fee, I think this job deserves a little more than the last one. How about double my pay from last time?"

"Fine. Just bring the boy to me as soon as possible."

Satisfied, Tadakatsu left the office with a smile on his face.

 _"I won't lose a second time Naruto."_

Tadakatsu left the mansion to find Tayuya waiting for him.

"What did he want this time?"

Tadakatsu handed her the folder.

"Now we can get rid of that little pest and get a nice pay day all at the same time." He said smiling.

"What are you going to tell Karin?"

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her."


	38. Chapter 38

ch. 38

"How are you feeling?" Karin asked the sound ninja. She prepared her pen to take notes on the man's answer.

"I feel great. There isn't even a scar on my hand." The man held up the hand that was previously cut and true to his word there was no indication that it was sliced open a mere day before.

"Do you feel a strong temptation to take the medicine again?"

"No."

"Are there any changes you've noted in your body that you would like to mention?"

"...No."

Karin stared at the man with hard eyes.

"I don't believe you. If you withhold potentially important information from me I will have no choice but to force it out of you. I take my research very seriously."

"... It's just that it doesn't seem like the kind of thing to talk about in front of a lady."

"If I make you a lady will that make it easier on you?"

"OKAY! Okay. After I took the medicine I spent some time with a friend of mine. A female friend."

"Were you unable to perform?"

"Quite the opposite actually. I've never been better."

"So the medicine actually increased your capability to perform sexually? Well that explains how Tadakatsu can..." Karin's face flushed a deep crimson.

"Moving on, Please hold still while I extract a blood sample."

She stood up and prepared the needle as the man rolled up his sleeve. She wiped the area off with an alcohol covered cotton ball then stuck him in the arm. When she was done she bandaged the man's arm.

"That's it for today. Meet me at the same time tomorrow for your next check up." The man bowed and left. Karin still had the blush on her face when she stuck the vial full of the man's blood into a machine to begin analyzing it.

 _"I always wondered how Tadakatsu could be so amazing at only fifteen. I guess I have my answer now."_

 **With Naruto**

Naruto awoke with a huge yawn as he sat up on the couch he had been laying on.

"Finally awake? Omoi asked as he walked into the room.

"How long was I out?"

"It's noon."

"Damn, I haven't slept in like that for awhile. Where is everyone else?"

"My folks are at work and my brother is at school. My mom said that you're welcome to eat breakfast here before heading home."

"Thanks again for letting me crash here last night. I really didn't feel like going home and risk seeing those crazy women my sister calls friends."

"Don't you think that you're overreacting? They can't be that bad."

"Not that bad? One night they were talking about" Naruto grabbed Omoi by the shoulder and whispered something in his ears. His face was immediately covered by an uncharacteristically deep blush.

"Wow. Is that really possible?"

"It is. I looked it up in an anatomy text-book."

"I kind of want to see that now."

"I've seen it in a movie. Believe me, it's not as cool as it sounds at first. It's really nasty. I would never try it." Naruto stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"The ramen is in the"

"Left cabinet, I know."

While Naruto prepared his breakfast, Omoi switched on the television and began watching cartoons.

"Hahaha!"

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked from the kitchen.

"The monkey hit the guy on the head with a coconut!"

After a few minutes Naruto walked into the room with his ramen and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. He started eating while watching cartoons with Omoi. The occasional laugh being shared between the two whenever something funny happened.

"What are the plans for today Naruto?"

"I'm going to be doing some training later. What about you?"

"Yugito sensei said she wanted to work with me today."

"What about Karui?"

"She's been training non stop since we got home. It's kind of ridiculous actually. I think she's still taking her loss hard."

Omoi had no idea how right he was. At this exact time Karui was training harder than she ever had before.

She sat in a meditative position in the heart of a special training ground made for the villages fire users. It was a cave surrounded by seals that radiated intense heat. It was created for the purpose of adapting a fire users body to the heat that their jutsu generates.

As she meditated she began imagining her fight with Gaara. She remembered the desperation to preserve her own life when she forfeit. She remembered the overwhelming fear she felt when he ensnared her in his sand. Her muscles began to tense as she began to imagine what could have happened to her had Lee not saved her.

 _"Never again."_ She thought before she stood up and began weaving hand signs with more speed than usual.

"NEVER AGAIN!" She screamed as she shot a stream of rainbow fire from her mouth. It covered a wide area in front of her roughly the size of a house.

"Still not strong enough." She said as she panted from the use of the chakra heavy attack.

Back with Naruto and Omoi, Naruto had finished his ramen and was cleaning the bowl. There was a knock at the front door and Omoi went to get it.

"It's sensei." He called out to Naruto before opening the door.

"Hello sensei. Naruto's in the kitchen." He greeted her with a respectful bow.

Yugito walked into the kitchen right as Naruto started drying off the bowl.

"I figured you'd sleep here last night. Listen, this morning a messenger came for you. The raikage want's to see you about another mission. It's just a briefing and you won't be leaving until tomorrow but it's going to be you, Omoi, and Karui, with you acting as leader."

"Really? I get to lead a squad so soon?"

"Yeah. You should go see A as soon as possible."

Naruto put down the bowl and started to run out of the house but Yugito took him by the shoulder and stopped him.

"Before you go I have something to tell you... Some of my friends stayed over last night..."

"Please tell me you made them sleep on the couch."

"Well... I was drunk and not thinking clearly. I let them stay in your bed."

"Them?"

"Yeah... They might have... In your..."

"Ahhhhhhh! What the hell sis!?"

"I promise I'll wash your bed sheets tonight!"

"That's not the point! How could you let a couple of drunken hussies have sex in my bed!?"

"What!? They didn't have sex, they got sick and threw up in it!"

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

"Wait, did you just call my friend's hussies!?"

"Don't turn this around on me! You're the one who let them vomit in my bed!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Their argument was brought to a halt by the intense laughter of Omoi who was lazing on the couch having gone back to his cartoon.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked.

"He got hit in the head with two coconuts!"

Later at the Raikage's tower Naruto was standing at attention in the raikage's office ready to receive his mission instructions.

"We received a report last night about a group of bandits who match the description of the three sound ninja you mentioned you ran into on your last mission. Since they are rogue sound ninja we believe they may have some important information about the sound village. Information like where some of their hideouts are located."

 ** _"He's doing this so we can find Karin."_**

"Tomorrow you and your team are to go find these rogue sound ninja and apprehend them."

"Where are they?"

"The same place all the scum in this country go to hide. The mountain's to the north."

"Okay. Me and the team will head out first thing in the morning."

"One more thing Naruto. There have been rumors of a deadly rogue ninja from the mist village being in the country. If you happen to run into him You're orders are to retreat."

"What's his name?"

"Zabuza, one of the mist village's legendary swordsmen."

Later that night Karin was sleeping peacefully in bed when the sound of the door opening roused her from her sleep. She sprang up clutching a kunai but dropped it when she saw who was at the door.

"You're back!" She squealed as she ran into her lovers arms.

"I'm here too, bitch." Tayuya said but Karin ignored her.

"Did you find my cousin?"

"Sorry babe, I had to postpone the search because a job came in. A high paying job."

"Oh... I understand. What's the job?"

"Some rich asshole wants me to bring in a rogue ninja that knocked up his daughter then split. The only reason we came back here before taking care of the job was because I wanted to check on how your research was going first."

"Follow me and I'll show you." Karin threw a bathrobe over her silk nightgown and walked out.

Tadakatsu and Tayuya followed Karin to her lab where she pulled out a medicine bottle filled with blue pills.

"I was successful in infusing the pills with my chakra. So far it seems to be equally as efficient as taking the chakra directly from my body and the test subject hasn't shown any negative side effects so far."

"How many pills can you safely make in one day?"

"The process isn't as draining as biting me. I'd say ten in one day is my limit."

"Don't take any chances. Only make five in a day. We should still be able to build up a good stockpile at that rate."

"Okay." She handed him the bottle of pills.

"Just in case things don't go right on this job."

"Thanks babe. Now come here." He pulled karin toward him in a loving hug.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

"I haven't had you in a while." He began kissing her passionately.

"Be careful around the equipment. These machine's cost a fortune." She said as she pulled his jacket over his head after breaking their kiss.

"Where did Tayuya go?" She asked when she realized the other girl had left.

"She's going to sleep. I asked her to give us some alone time tonight."

"That was nice of her."

"Nothing nice about it. I had to satisfy her outside before she promised to let us have our own fun."

"Oh, need a recharge baby?" She pulled her bathrobe off and offered her neck to him.

"I love you Karin." He bit into her neck and Karin let out a soft moan.

His proclamation of love made Karin blush.

"I love you too Tadakatsu."

The next morning Naruto and his team stood at the northern exit to the village ready to leave for their next mission. As usual Yugito was there to see them off.

"Do you have all your supplies in order?" She asked the three.

"Yes." They all answered.

"Do you know the mission parameters?"

"Find and apprehend the three rogue sound ninja and avoid unnecessary conflict." The three sounded off in unison.

"You know, it's my responsibility to be doing the pre-mission check sis. I'm the leader." Naruto complained.

"I'm sorry. You know I just get worried when you go out on missions and I'm not there."

"You don't need to worry on this one sis. I've got Karui and Omoi with me. What's the worst that could happen?"


	39. Chapter 39

ch. 39

After a day of traveling Naruto and his team were finally closing in on the northern mountains. They decided to camp out for the night and begin their search in the morning. The northern mountain range was a treacherous place with terrain even a ninja would have trouble traversing so they decided to restrict their search to daylight hours. The three sat around a camp fire eating their dinner. Naruto ate ramen of course while the other two ate military rations.

"I'm not sleepy so I'll take the first watch." Naruto offered to his team.

"Omoi will take second and Karui will take third."

Naruto's team nodded. A sudden sound surprised Karui and Omoi. They grabbed their weapons and prepared for the worst but the sight of an adorable rabbit hopping into view calmed them down.

"Aw, hey little guy. Do you want some food?" Naruto asked the tiny animal.

The animal started to shy away from Naruto.

"What's wrong little buddy? I won't hurt you, I promise."

 ** _"Naruto."_**

 _"Yeah?"_

 ** _"I want to eat that rabbit."_**

 _"What!? Hell no!"_

 ** _"Come on man! It's been years since I've had a nice rabbit."_**

 _"The answer is no! We're not eating that rabbit!"_

"Hey Naruto, we should catch that rabbit and eat it later." Karui suggested as she readied a kunai.

"What!?"

"I agree with Karui. We could make a tasty stew with that little guy." Omoi said. Karui tossed her kunai toward the defenseless creature but Naruto deflected it with his own kunai before charging forward and snatching the rabbit up in his arms.

"NO ONE IS EATING THIS RABBIT WHILE I'M AROUND!"

"Are you serious Naruto? It's just a rabbit." Karui said.

"I don't care! I'm not going to let you kill a defenseless animal when we have plenty of food!" Naruto took off at top speed away from his team.

"Naruto wait!" They yelled to no avail.

"I'M TAKING THIS RABBIT SOMEWHERE YOU TWO WON'T FIND HIM!" He screamed back at them.

"Ugh, I hate when he gets like this." Karui said with frustration evident in her voice.

"Nothing we can do now but wait for him to come back."

Naruto ran at top speed for a few minutes until he thought he was far enough away from anyone who may try to hurt the little rabbit. He put the animal down and it hopped a short distance away from him. It turned around and began looking at Naruto.

"It's okay little guy. You'll be safe now." Naruto began waving goodbye to the rabbit but froze when he felt something cold up against his throat.

"You should be more worried about yourself."

"H-How did you sneak up on me? I couldn't sense anything."

"I was suppressing my chakra. You sensory types are all the same. You're so proud of your gift that you think you can get away with neglecting your other senses. That's a good way to get yourself killed."

 _"His voice sounds familiar but it's being muffled somehow. I think he's wearing a mask."_

 ** _"Just keep calm and don't try anything stupid. If he made up his mind about killing us he would have already done it."_**

"What are you and those other two doing here? What is your mission?"

"We came here to arrest a group of sound ninja. We don't want any trouble from anyone else."

"Are you the leader?"

"Yeah."

"You look young for a team leader. Let me guess, you just passed the recent chunin exams and they gave you this mission to help get your feet wet?"

"...You're pretty smart."

"One more question. Why did you go out of your way to defend the rabbit?"

"I'd rather not take a life if I don't have to. Even if it's just an animal."

"That's good for you. If you or your team had hurt my pet I would have killed you. Even if I do know you."

"Huh?"

"How did that mission in Rico city turn out for you, Naruto?"

"Haku!?"

Haku took the kunai off of Naruto's throat. As soon as he could, Naruto spun around to face Haku. He wasn't wearing the girly pink outfit anymore, instead wearing a mist village anbu uniform. He removed the mask proving that he was the same feminine boy Naruto met on his last mission.

"What the hell is going on here? You're a ninja? An anbu?"

"Not exactly. I'm a mercenary. Me and my partner are here to track down a criminal with a hefty bounty on his head. You mentioned rogue sound ninja. I think our groups can help each other."

"You mean like a truce? We help you take in your bounty and you help us bring in our targets?"

"Something like that. Go back to your camp and wait for me. I'll bring my partner by and we'll see if we can come to an agreement."

"Wait. Before you go I want you to do something for me so I know I can trust you. Let me sense your chakra for a second."

"What will that accomplish?"

"I'll be able to trust you a whole lot more if you do it."

"So be it."

Haku formed a hand sign and whispered "Release." allowing Naruto to sense him.

"Okay. I can tell that you're being sincere. I'll trust you for now."

"You could tell that just by sensing my chakra?"

"Yeah. Anyway I'll go talk to my team." Naruto took off toward his camp site.

Haku gestured to the rabbit to come to him. It happily hopped into the boy's arms.

"I need to get you a cage or something so you stop wandering off on your own."

The rabbit began licking Haku's cheek, making the boy start smiling and hugging the animal close to him.

"I can't stay mad at you." Haku and his beloved pet left toward his own camp to meet up with his partner.

Later on, Naruto and his team were waiting for the arrival of Haku and his mysterious partner.

"They're coming." Naruto informed his team.

Seconds later, Haku and his partner walked into the light of the camp fire.

"Sorry we took so long. My partner here took a little convincing." Haku said as he walked up to the group.

"That's okay. So did my team. So what kind of deal do you guys want to make."

"We have reason to believe that our target is hiding in an abandoned castle here in the mountains. This castle has become a stronghold of sorts for bandits. There's a good chance that your targets are hiding there as well. If we work together we can both walk away from here having succeeded in our missions." Haku explained.

"Hmm... Let me talk to my team for a second." Naruto and his team huddled together like a sports team a short distance away and began whispering among themselves.

"What do you guys think? I think we can trust at least Haku. He had a perfect opportunity to kill me earlier and didn't take it."

"I don't think they would risk pissing off the village by killing us, but I also don't think we can trust them. Let's go along with them for now but be really careful. We should be ready to bail at a moments notice." Karui said.

"I'll go along with whatever you think is right Naruto." Omoi said.

The three broke apart and Naruto walked over to Haku.

"You've got yourself a deal." The two shook hands.

Haku's partner walked up to the two.

"I'm going back to our camp." He walked into the darkness and disappeared.

"What's his deal?" Naruto asked.

"Forgive Zabuza. He doesn't like working with others."

"Wait, Zabuza? You mean the demon of the mist? That was that Zabuza?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No. It's just kind of weird since we have orders to retreat if we run into him. It's strange that we end up working with him."

"I understand. We should probably form a strategy for tomorrow."

Later when he returned to their camp, Haku found Zabuza waiting for him.

"I'm going along with this because you've never steered me wrong Haku, but I will kill those three if they try to betray us."

"They have no reason to betray us Zabuza. Besides they must know that they aren't a match for you."

"I thought that brat mizukage was no match for me either. Never underestimate a jinchuriki."

"That boy isn't like Yagura."

"Assumptions like that are a good way to get yourself killed. I've told you before Haku, you're too soft. Not everyone you meet is going to be your friend."

"Enough! I don't need you to lecture me!"

"Fine then. Ignore my advice. Don't blame me when something happens. We should start thinking of a plan anyway."

"Me and Naruto already made one. It's interesting to say the least."


	40. Chapter 40

ch. 40

"ZZZZZZZZZZ!" Naruto snored. His deep sleep was interrupted when Karui kicked him in the side.

"AGH! Damn it woman. can't you let me sleep for once?"

"We're supposed to meet Haku in an hour. Get your lazy ass up."

"Fine." Naruto stumbled out of his sleeping bag and let out a huge yawn.

"At least you didn't interrupt an amazing dream this time."

Karui flashed an angry eye toward Naruto. He flinched.

"What was that?"

"Uh... Nothing Karui."

"I thought so."

Naruto and the others prepared for the mission ahead. Haku and Zabuza appeared right on time.

"Are we all ready?" Haku asked the group.

"Yeah. Let's go kick some ass!" Naruto excitedly yelled.

"I already briefed Zabuza on the plan we came up with last night. Let's head out."

 **Meanwhile at the bandit's stronghold**

"This is bullshit." Zaku complained as he and his two companions mopped the floor of one of the castle's many hallways.

"If you put as much effort into mopping as you do bitching then we would be done by now." Kin said.

"Both of you shut up. It's either work here or go back on the road. Do you two wanna go back on the road?"

"No..." The two looked down in shame and got back to work.

"Hey you three! Come check this out!" One of the bandits yelled at them from down the hall. The three took the opportunity to catch a break from their mindless chore and followed the bandit to the front entrance of the castle where a huge group of bandits were standing around in a circle. In the middle of the circle was a cute blond girl, wearing a tight orange shirt and blue shorts.

"A girl?" Dosu asked surprised.

"Yeah. One of our scouts found her. She said she was a runaway that wants to become a bandit. You should hear the mouth on this one. She's been flirting with everyone since she got here. Even the other girls."

"Hey there cutie. How about you come with me and I'll bring you to our boss." One of the bandits grabbed the beautiful blond girl on her rear and squeezed.

"Oh, I'd love to meet your boss! Is he as cute as you handsome?"

Dosu stared at the girl. There was something familiar about her.

"Wait. Something isn't right. Look at her face."

"What is it? She looks normal enough to me. Minus those weird marks on her chee... OH SHIT!" The realization hit the three like a ton of bricks. They turned tail and ran away as fast they could.

The blond girl grabbed the man's arm and flipped him. He was sent flying into a couple of his companions.

"Surprise!" Naruto yelled. He dispelled the sexy jutsu and reverted to his male form.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" The entrance hall was filled with an army of Naruto's.

"YOU!" One of the Naruto's pointed to the bandit who had just grabbed his butt.

"The only person in this world who's allowed to touch me like that is my sweetheart. YOU AREN'T HER!"

The Naruto army descended on the bandits like a tidal wave. The sound genin could hear the battle as they ran for their lives. They turned a corner and found themselves face to face with Omoi and Karui.

"Looks like Haku was right. Our targets are here." Karui took out her sword and pointed it at the three.

"Surrender and I won't have to kick your asses."

"The blond was a distraction so these two could come for us. It looks like our only chance is to fight." Dosu pulled up his sleeve and readied himself for the coming battle.

"Zaku, Kin, don't take these two lightly because we outnumber them."

"Right!" The two yelled. Omoi and Karui pounced on them and the fighting began.

While all of this commotion was going on, Zabuza and Haku were searching for their bounty. It didn't take them long to find him. The bandits that weren't preoccupied with Naruto rushed to their boss as soon as possible. They were all gathered in the throne room with their leader.

"What are we gonna do boss?"

"Yeah boss! What are we gonna do?"

The leader sat atop the throne while his lackeys panicked among themselves.

The leader wasn't a particularly noteworthy person at first glance. The most interesting thing about him was the mist village head band he wore with a slash across it. He was an older man with black hair. The hairless spot on the back of his head made it obvious he was succumbing to the dreaded curse of men. Baldness. He wore a green robe over a black shirt and pants. Next to him, leaning against the throne was a sheathed sword.

"I'll tell you idiots what you're going to do. You're going to leave. You'll just get in my way if you stay. I suggest you get moving. They're already here." He grabbed his weapon and stood up. He pointed at the door and the bandits all turned to see Zabuza and Haku.

"Go. Now." Haku said with an uncharacteristic coldness to his voice. The bandits all freaked out and ran past the two deadly shinobi. The only ones left were Zabuza, Haku, and their target.

"Zabuza. I'm honestly not surprised. I see you still keep that dirty street rat for a pet."

Haku walked in front of Zabuza and pulled off his mask.

"You, and all of your kind make me sick." Haku pulled out a couple of senbon and held them between his fingers.

"Zabuza. Let me take this one. It's only fitting that someone like me be the one to take this man down."

"As you wish."

Haku launched his senbon at the man but he unsheathed his sword and blocked all of the senbon easily.

"Don't waste time playing with him Haku. Finish him quickly."

Haku put his hands in a unique hand seal.

"If you want it quick then I'll make it quick. CRYSTAL ICE MIRRORS!"

Back with Naruto, he was just finishing up with the group of bandits from the entrance. He left his clones to tie them all up and headed toward his team to give them back up.

The fight with the sound ninja was not going too well for Karui and Omoi. The fight spilled over into a nearby room, most likely the mess hall due to it's huge size, and the sound ninja were able to divide them with Zaku and Kin double teaming Omoi. Karui was fighting Dosu but he wasn't a push over. His technique was unique and she was having a hard time figuring out a counter.

"Damn it." She cursed. She didn't have a lot of options in this match up. She couldn't fight him up close so she stayed back and attacked him with long range fire jutsu. This didn't work though because Dosu was surprisingly agile for someone with such a huge weapon. He expertly dodged her attacks slowly wearing her out.

 _"What the hell is a guy this good doing with those two lame asses? Sorry Omoi but this may take a little longer than I thought. I hope you can hold out until help comes."_

Karui began preparing another jutsu.

"More fire jutsu? I can't imagine you have too much chakra left. Better make it a good one." Dosu arrogantly taunted. He loved toying with his opponents. Forcing them to come to him and tire themselves out before he would go on the offensive.

Karui smiled as she completed her hand signs.

"Fire style: Ring of fire jutsu!" She held up her sword and it became engulfed in fire. She stabbed the ground and the two were suddenly surrounded by a ring of intense flames. It began slowly closing in around them. Dosu got as far away from the flames as he could but the heat was unbearable. He began to sweat profusely in a matter of seconds.

"What the hell kind of jutsu is this?"

"It's designed to exhaust the opponent. Most people can't take this kind of heat for too long. A normal person would collapse in only a few minutes. You can't just sit back and wait for me to tire myself out anymore."

 _"She's right. This is like a volcano. I have to go on the offensive now before I'm too tired."_

Dosu made a mad dash for Karui. He swiped at her with his gauntlet but she dodged by jumping into the air. His fist slammed into the ground creating a crater and plenty of sound for him to use. He tried to focus it into the air with her but she had a plan for that. She clapped her hands together and the flames in the ring of fire all shot toward the crater his gauntlet was stuck in.

"AH!" He screamed as his hand burned. He managed to pull his hand out of the gauntlet before it was too late but the damage he received was still devastating. Had the inside of his gauntlet not been insulated from heat he may have lost the arm. He was lucky enough to get away with a pretty bad burn that would eventually heal over time.

Karui landed and placed a seal on him. Chakra chains sprang forth from the seal and tied him up. Because of his arm being burned the chakra chain wrapped around him caused him great pain but Karui ignored his screams and turned her attention toward Omoi.

Omoi spent pretty much his whole fight on the defensive. The sound cannons hidden inside Zaku's arms were a powerful weapon that had Omoi constantly dodging. Kin was able to get a couple of good shots in with senbon but nothing life threatening. Omoi looked to be on his last legs when Karui snuck up behind Kin and grabbed her in a sleeper hold.

"KIN!" Zaku spun around and the momentary distraction was all Omoi needed.

"Lightning style: Lightning stunner!" He blasted Zaku with a jutsu designed to stun the opponent and the boy fell down unconscious. Kin soon followed, being knocked out by Karui's sleeper hold.

"Looks like we won." Omoi enthusiastically began scratching his head.

"That was a lot of trouble. I hope these two have the info on Naruto's cousin." He finished with a lazy yawn.

After Karui was done putting the seals on the two sound ninja she walked over to Omoi and slapped him.

"You lazy fuck! What would you have done if I hadn't been there to save you? Damn it Omoi you need to shape up and take your ninja duties seriously!"

"Hey take it easy I was fighting two of them!"

"Fighting my ass, you ran away the whole time and waited for me. You didn't even make an attempt to really fight until I came in. No wonder you couldn't even make it to the chunin exam finals. You're a lazy bum who refuses to work hard!"

"..."

Karui just stared at Omoi with hard eyes. Omoi knew she was right so he looked down in shame. Luckily for him the tense situation ended when Naruto burst through the door with a kunai in each hand.

"NARUTO IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!" He screamed as he flew through the air. He landed dramatically and looked around.

"What the hell? You guys already beat them?"

"Yeah. I put the seals you gave us, on them and everything. "

"Awesome. Let's meet up with Zabuza and Haku and get out of here."

Naruto threw Kin and Zaku over his shoulders while Omoi picked up Dosu who had finally passed out from the pain in his arm.

"Haku and Zabuza are in the throne room. Let's go." The three started running toward the throne room. Naruto and Omoi held back a little bit behind Karui so Naruto could whisper something to Omoi.

"Omoi, I heard what Karui said through the door. Don't take it too hard. She just doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"I know man... It's just that I know that what she said was true..."

They made it to the throne room fairly quickly and went in.

Haku was standing over the body of their target. The man was covered head to toe in senbon but he was still alive.

"Good, you guys are done too. Let's get out of here." Naruto said with a big grin on his face.

"We aren't done yet. Zabuza, finish it."

Zabuza lifted his giant sword and Naruto's eyes went wide when he realized what they were about to do.

"WAIT DON'T!"

It was too late. Zabuza's sword came down and decapitated the man. Haku picked up the head and stored it in a scroll.

"You... killed him." Naruto said barely above a whisper. He dropped the sound ninja he was carrying in shock. They landed with a thud but they didn't wake up.

"Yeah. We did kill him." Zabuza spun around and looked at Naruto with harsh eyes.

"Here's some advice little jinchuriki. Disregard whatever moral code prevents you from killing. This is not a world that favors the soft. If you aren't prepared to kill your enemies then you won't last much longer." Zabuza took the scroll with their targets head and left.

"I'm going to go get our money. Meet me back at the camp site in a few hours." Were his last words to Haku.

Naruto picked up one of the sound ninja and was about to pick up the other when Haku did it for him.

"Naruto, I know how you feel but please understand, Zabuza was right in what he said. As ninja we must be prepared to take a life when necessary. Even if we don't want to."

"I've never had to sink that low in order to win a fight."

"For your sake I hope you never do."

Naruto and his team were accompanied by Haku on their way back down the mountains. It was a quiet journey. When they reached the bottom Haku handed the prisoner he was carrying to Karui.

"This is where we part ways Naruto. You and your team were a big help."

"You too Haku."

The two shook hands.

"Before we go can I ask you something Haku?"

"What is it?"

"Who exactly was that guy you killed?"

"His name was Kazuya. His nickname was the mist's blood hunter. During the bloodline purges in the mist village he killed more people with bloodline traits than anyone else. He would have killed me had I not been Zabuza's ward."

"Bloodline purge?" Naruto asked. Karui slapped Naruto in the back of the head.

"You never paid attention in history. During the reign of the fourth mizukage, there was a massive hunt for people with bloodline traits." She explained.

"She's right. I was born around that time. My own father murdered my mother and tried to kill me."

"That's terrible! Why did something like that happen?"

"No one knows why the mizukage initiated the purge. There are rumors such as, the tailed beast he hosted drove him mad, or even that he was being mind controlled by someone but nothing has been proven as far as I know."

 ** _"It wasn't his beast. The fourth mizukage was the host of Isobu. Isobu isn't bloodthirsty like Shukaku. He wouldn't have done something like that... Naruto do you sense a huge group of strong chakra signatures to the south of here?"_**

"What the hell?" Naruto faced south and Haku and the others were puzzled by him.

"Do you sense something, Naruto?" Karui asked.

"Yeah. A big group of strong chakra signatures just came in to my range. They seem like... Oh you've got to be kidding me! It's them!"

A few miles away Tadakatsu, Tayuya, and a whole lot of sound village muscle were making their way toward the group.

 _"You won't beat me this time, kid."_


	41. Chapter 41

ch. 41

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! It's them!"

"Them? Who's them?" Haku asked.

"Members of my clan who don't want me around anymore. They brought a whole lot of muscle too."

"What are we going to do Naruto? They're blocking our way back to the village." Omoi said with a worried look on his face.

Naruto put down the prisoner he was carrying and formed his signature hand sign.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto summoned an army of clones. At least one hundred of them, all ready to fight.

"We're going to make a run for it. My clones will attack them head on and we'll go around."

"I can assist you." Haku offered.

"No, you've already done enough for us. You don't need to risk your life in a fight that has nothing to do with you."

"I'm sorry, but if I let an ally head into such a dangerous situation without lending my aid, I could never forgive myself. You're stuck with me until you get clear of that group."

"We don't have time to argue! Just let him help us Naruto!" Karui blurted out. She was worried about the situation just like Omoi.

"Fine then. Let's move out before it's too late." Naruto picked up his prisoner and the army of his shadow clones took off in front of them. They went straight for the sound forces at top speed.

"Follow me everyone!" Naruto and his group took a path that went around the area where his clones and the sound forces were about to clash.

"Listen up everyone, These guys are only after me. If the worst ends up happening, I want you to run, and leave me behind."

"HELL NO!" Karui yelled.

"Naruto, you're my best friend. I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself." Omoi added.

"Guys relax. I didn't mean it like that. I want you to run and leave me so that you won't get in the way when I use the new technique sis taught me."

While Naruto and his team ran for their lives, Tadakatsu and his group clashed with the army of Naruto clones. Tadakatsu and Tayuya stayed back and watched as their pawns began fighting.

"I expected something like this from him." Tadakatsu bit his thumb and started performing his hand signs.

"Summoning jutsu!" A big light brown wolf poofed into existence.

"What is it you desire, my alpha?"

"Volug, I need you to find someone for me. You should be able to recognize his chakra very easily."

The wolf started sniffing the air around him. His face contorted into one of pure rage and he started growling a low, beastly growl.

"THE AIR IS THICK WITH THE SCENT OF KURAMA! THAT FILTHY DEMON WILL PAY FOR WHAT HE'S DONE!"

"Can you sniff out Kurama's jinchuriki with all these clones around?"

"Of course. These clones leave only a weak scent. I can find the original easily."

"Good. You five! You're with me! The rest of you stay behind and stall these clones." The five that Tadakatsu pointed out followed him, Tayuya, and the wolf summon, Volug.

Volug effortlessly tore through the Naruto clones creating a path for the others to follow him.

"Shit." The real Naruto cursed. He could sense the group coming to head them off.

"The diversion didn't work. Tadakatsu is coming straight at us. He's got Tayuya, a couple of sound mooks, and a summon animal."

 ** _"Oh hell."_**

 _"What is it Kurama?"_

 ** _"It's a wolf summon. Me and the wolf summon family have some bad blood between us."_**

 _"Wonderful..."_

"What's the plan Naruto?" Haku asked as he ran along side him.

"We keep running!"

"Can't you make some more clones to stall them?"

"I could but since I've already created so many I can't go overboard." Naruto handed the prisoner he was carrying on his back to Haku and created ten more clones. They took off ahead of the others, Not having to deal with the burden of carrying the prisoners.

"Let's hope that they can stall them long enough for us to pass by."

It didn't take very long for Tadakatsu's group and the clones to clash. Three of them tried to gang up on the wolf but he was ferocious. He ducked and dodged all of their coordinated attacks and one by one tore out the clone's throats, dispelling them. The rest of the clones didn't fare very well either. They were quickly brushed aside by Tadakatsu and the others.

"Well that didn't work." Naruto commented as they all kept running.

"They're gonna be on us in a few seconds. Listen guy's, it's time for plan B."

"Naruto..." Omoi and Karui simultaneously said.

"Listen guys, as team leader I was entrusted with your lives. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you guys get away. Even if I have to put my own life on the line."

"But Naruto, what about your dream?" Karui asked.

"Don't worry about it. I know I won't die here. I refuse to die until I become raikage. Now hurry!"

Omoi, Karui, and Haku all broke away from Naruto. They each took a prisoner with them. Naruto stopped running and began molding his chakra. He was encased in a golden aura before nine tails shot out of his back. His aura began taking the shape of a fox and he expanded in size rapidly. After a few seconds the golden aura turned into red fur and the transformation was complete.

"I didn't see that coming..." Tadakatsu said as he stared upon the creature that now towered over the landscape. His minions cowered in fear, even Tayuya had a rare worried look on her face.

"My alpha, I believe it would be wise to summon my father. He is one of the few summons who has a chance of defeating a tailed beast in combat."

"Are you sure that your father would listen to me for once? Remember, he doesn't exactly like me."

"If the enemy is Kurama, my father would gladly fight. Even for you."

"Okay then." Tadakatsu bit his thumb and performed the summoning jutsu again. This time him and his group stood above the head of a giant silver wolf. It wore an eye patch on the left side of it's face and it was snarling with rage.

"KURAMA!" The great beast bellowed.

 ** _"Of course he summoned that one. The current patriarch of the wolf summon family. Star."_**

 _"Let me guess. That eye patch was your doing?"_

 ** _"Yep. Ripped his eye right out of the socket."_**

 _"Nasty."_

 ** _"Not as nasty as when I fed his own eyeball to him."_**

 _"Dude..."_

 ** _"I was a lot younger and angrier back then. Besides, he was the one who started the fight."_**

 _"Why?"_

 ** _"I mated with his mother."_**

 _"DUDE!"_

 ** _"IT WAS HER IDEA!"_**

 _"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE!"_

While Naruto and Kurama were having their mental conversation, Tadakatsu was speaking to the giant wolf he had summoned.

" Lord Star, I need your help to capture Kurama's jinchuriki."

"Capture?! I'm going to kill that demon!"

"Then what are you going to do when he reforms? You know as well as anyone that the tailed beasts can never truly die."

"..."

"If we capture him, we'll deal him a fate worse than death. My client intends to sell him to the highest bidder. Kurama will become a tool for war again. Not only that but his host will die after the extraction process is complete. Kurama cares about this host and his death would cause him great pain."

"... Fine. I recommend you get off my back and to a safe distance away. This will not be an easy fight."

Tadakatsu and his followers did as instructed. Star pounced on Naruto and knocked him aside with a swipe of his mighty claw.

 _"AGH! That hurt like hell!"_

 ** _"You aren't ready for an opponent of this caliber yet. Give me control of your body!"_**

 _"You got it."_

Kurama dodged Star's follow up attack and countered by slashing at his face. Star was sent flying but managed to land on his feet.

A few miles away Karui, Omoi, and Haku were watching the fight between the two titans.

"So this is the true power of a Jinchuriki?" Haku stared in awe of the great beasts and their struggle.

Kurama and Star continued to claw and bite at each other like feral animals. Star's animosity for Kurama was fueling his rage and he fought with more intensity than Kurama expected. Kurama was forced to back away from Star in order to regroup.

 **"You've become much stronger since the last time we fought."**

"When we last met I was still in my adolescence. Now I am fully matured and the elders say I've surpassed even my mother."

 **"Speaking of your mother, how is Nailah? You know, she admitted to me that I was a superior mate than that deadbeat father of yours."**

"YOU FILTHY DEMON!" Star roared. He charged at Kurama but was knocked aside by Kurama's claw. It smashed into the left side of Star's face and Kurama's nails tore off the eye patch, exposing Star's empty eye socket.

 **"What was that about fully maturing?"** Kurama taunted.

Star struggled back to his feet.

"You riled me up. It won't happen again." Star charged at Kurama once again.

 **"I've had enough of this."** Kurama charged at Star as well and the two began biting and clawing at each other again. During the fight, Kurama managed to get one of his tails around Star's throat. He began choking him but Star fought back and started clawing away at the tail wrapped around his throat.

Kurama managed to keep his hold over Star's throat despite the pain and used his other tails to grab hold of Star's claws.

 ** _"Watch this Naruto. I'm going to hit him with my strongest technique. When we get back home it'll be the next thing I teach you."_**

Kurama started forming a dark mass of chakra in front of his mouth. Star recognized the technique and began struggling even harder to break free of Kurama's hold.

While this was going on the remainder of the army of Naruto clones that were fighting Tadakatsu's sound forces were surrounded. There was about fifty of them left all bunched up together attempting to cover each other. They were surrounded by chunin and jonin ranked sound shinobi.

Suddenly some of the sound shinobi began preparing a jutsu. The Naruto clone's tossed some kunai at them but they were protected by their comrades deflecting the kunai with their own. They slammed their hands on the ground and the clones were suddenly sealed into a dome made of earth.

"Quick, dig everyone!" One of the clones shouted. It was no use however, since the jutsu that was used to seal them in also fortified the ground they were standing on so they couldn't escape so easily.

Suddenly a small hole opened up in the top of the dome and several sound shinobi used fire jutsu to incinerate all of the clones at the same time.

 _"AGH!"_ Naruto mentally screamed as the memories and experience of all those clones rushed into his mind at the same time.

 ** _"Naruto, what happened?"_**

In that second that Kurama lost his concentration, his hold on Star weakened. Not being one to waste an opportunity, Star used the distraction to break free. He sunk his claws into the tails that had just held them and pulled them right out of Kurama's back. As they seperated from the main body, the tails turned into a cloud of chakra and dissipated.

 **"AGH!"** Kurama wailed in agony at the loss of his tails.

Star didn't waste any time and slashed at the tail that was still wrapped around his throat. It was cut in half and Kurama wailed in pain even harder.

"Now for the coup de grâce!" Star yelled right before he sunk his teeth deep into Kurama's left shoulder. He tore a gaping wound in Kurama's body and demonic chakra started leaking out in a red cloud. Unable to sustain the transformation any longer, Naruto's body fell from the dissipating cloud of chakra that used to be the nine tailed fox.

Star tried to catch him with his tail but Haku suddenly appeared and snatched Naruto out of mid air. He landed and began running with the boy on his back.

"Haku? What are you doing?"

"Saving you!"

"Where are the others?"

"Following your orders."

Their conversation was disrupted when Star's claw came crashing down in front of them. The shock wave sent them flying. While they were in mid air Haku slipped something cold into Naruto's pocket. The two landed and Haku whispered into Naruto's ear.

"If I can't get you out of here, keep that with you. As long as you have it I may be able to save you."

Tadakatsu and his group appeared on the scene boxing Haku in between Star and them.

"The boy is our prize, mist shinobi. I suggest you get out of here." Tadakatsu offered.

"What do you want with him? Are you planning to extract the beast?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"I was sent by the mist village to retrieve this boy for that purpose. I won't let any other village take him.

"If the mist wants the nine tails then tell them to get some money ready. He'll be going on sale pretty soon. Now hand him over or I'll let my summon eat you."

Haku had no choice. He placed Naruto on the ground.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"It's okay." Naruto whispered back.

Haku disappeared from sight. When he was gone Tadakatsu turned his attention to Star.

"That was amazing Star. I knew I was right to sign the wolf contract."

"Do not think that this makes us friends Tadakatsu. You have yet to prove yourself as a worthy alpha for my family. I only allowed you to sign our contract because your mother was our last alpha. Remember that." The wolves poofed away after that.

Naruto forced himself to stand up. He held his bleeding left shoulder and stared down the group in front of him. Tadakatsu walked forward and motioned for Naruto to come and get him.

Calling on the little strength he had left, Naruto managed to run at Tadakatsu and try to punch him in the face. Tadakatsu blocked the punch and stuck his knee into Naruto's gut making him double over in pain. Tadakatsu picked Naruto up by the hair and dragged him over to his comrades.

"Have fun with him." He ordered as he tossed the boy down in front of his goons. They began kicking and stomping on the boy. Tayuya got a couple of good kicks in too before she turned to Tadakatsu and jumped into his arms.

"I love when your sadistic side comes out."

"So do I."

After a few more seconds of Naruto being beaten by the goons Tadakatsu stopped them.

He tore off Naruto's orange jacket and placed a seal over his stomach."

 ** _"What is he... NO NOT THA"_** Kurama suddenly went silent in Naruto's head. The seal cutting off their connection. Tadakatsu then placed another seal on the boy. This one binded him like the seals he used on the sound genin. It left his mouth exposed and Tadakatsu pulled out the bottle of pills Karin gave to him and prepared to give him one.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tayuya asked.

"Making sure he doesn't die on the way to Gato's mansion. It'll be fine, he won't be able to break free. The first seal I put on him cut him off from the fox. Plus Karin's chakra has the effect of suppressing the nine tails."

Haku looked on from the shadows behind a pile of debris that was kicked up during the battle of Star and Kurama. He watched The sound ninja pick up Naruto and leave. He followed them hoping that no one would discover the item he slipped Naruto.

 _"As long as he has that with him, there's a chance."_

A few miles away, Omoi and Karui still had their prisoners and were heading back to the village. Omoi elected to carry two of them as penance for his performance in their earlier fight.

"Omoi, do you think we did the right thing?"

"We followed our leaders orders..."

"But did we do the right thing?"

"... If we had stayed we would have just gotten ourselves and the prisoners killed."

"That's coward talk."

"Did you see the same thing I saw!? What could we have done against that giant wolf?"

"I... I Don't know."

"I believe in Naruto. I know that he won't die. Besides, Haku went back for him."

"Do you really think that we can trust that merc?"

"If Naruto trusted him, then I trust him."

"Haku is completely trustworthy. I'm the one you have to worry about."

The two spun around and found themselves suspended in the air. Zabuza had their throats in his hands and the look in his eyes was far from pleasant. The prisoners hit the ground with a thud again. This time the shock seemed to have roused them from their sleep.

"You two are going to tell me everything that just happened."


	42. Chapter 42

ch. 42

"Wakey wakey." Tadakatsu taunted as he slapped Naruto awake.

Naruto tried to grab his aching cheek where Tadakatsu struck him but his hands were bound by something. He started to take in his surroundings. He was in a small room with old stone walls. It was damp so Naruto assumed it was a basement of some kind. The exit was a wooden door but it had a seal inscribed on it. Naruto didn't recognize it. His hands and feet were bound to the wall behind him with a seal. His shoulder was bandaged and his torn up jacket and his pants were on a nearby table, leaving him only in his boxer shorts with a silly toad design. The only source of light was a lantern next to his clothes. There was also an additional seal drawn over the one on his stomach. This wasn't a simple paper seal that could be torn off. This one would require a key like his original seal did.

"Ya know, I figured your undergarments would be a bit more... Foxy. Hahaha!" Tadakatsu continued to taunt Naruto.

"What's this all about Tadakatsu?"

"Business mostly, with a little bit of personal sprinkled in. You see, my client stands to make a lot of money off that beast in your belly. That's the business. The personal is that you contributed to the downfall of my clients daddy."

"You don't mean?"

"I told you Gato's son was real. You should have joined us when you had the chance. I would have protected you."

"Go to hell. You would have sold me out in a heartbeat you bastard."

"Believe what you want. You'll be dead soon anyway."

Naruto spat in Tadakatsu's face. Tadakatsu wiped the saliva off of himself and then grabbed Naruto by the throat.

"After I get my money do you wanna know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna go home and fuck your cousin! Your cousin is a wild one Naruto! She does whatever I ask her to do. She's even willing to share me with Tayuya, her childhood bully. That's how much she loves me, and I love her back just as much! I REFUSE TO LET YOU OR ANYONE ELSE TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!" Tadakatsu began punching Naruto in the face repeatedly. The door swung open and an older gentleman wearing a pristine grey suit walked in. The man's grey hair shined in the light from the lantern. He was carrying a large travel bag in one hand and held a cane in the other.

"Is there a problem, Master Tadakatsu?"

"No. No problem at all Ignacy." Tadakatsu let go of Naruto's throat and faced the man.

"Is that my money?"

"Yes sir. I was assured that it's all there. You may count it if you like."

Tadakatsu snatched the bag from the man.

"I'll count it outside. If there's even the slightest bit missing I'm coming back inside and raising hell." The two walked outside and Naruto was left in the room alone, blood dripping from his nose and a bruise developing on his left cheek.

Outside, Tadakatsu and Ignacy continued their conversation.

"Where is Tayuya?"

"She was hungry so I told her she was free to whatever was in the kitchen."

"Get ready to go food shopping. Knowing her she won't leave much."

Tadakatsu wasn't exaggerating. At that moment Tayuya was devouring everything in sight in the kitchen. Some of the house maids were staring at her from the doorway frightened.

"She's like an animal." One of the maids whispered.

"How could such a tiny girl eat so much?"

"At this rate we won't have enough for the master's supper."

Tayuya popped the top off of a jug of milk and started chugging it down.

"Is she even human?"

"Just barely." The maids jumped when they heard Tadakatsu behind them. They began apologizing for talking behind Tayuya's back but he ignored them.

"It's time to go home Tayuya. I got our money."

Tayuya finished off the jug of milk and recklessly tossed it into the air. She let loose with a belch that disgusted the nearby maids. She grabbed Tadakatsu around the arm and the two happily left the mansion.

Back with Naruto he was struggling against his restraints in a futile attempt to gain his freedom.

"Damn it! If only I could get that seal off of my stomach!"

The door swung open again and Ignacy walked in.

"It's no use trying to escape. The seals binding you are strong enough to hold a kage. Even if you did break free, the seal on your stomach can only be removed with the key that my master holds. It would be better if you accept your fate."

"Sorry, but I'm not the kind of guy to just give up. I refuse to die until I accomplish my dream of being the raikage."

Ignacy walked over to Naruto's clothes and started looking through his pockets.

"I admire your heart. If I had the same kind of passion you had then maybe I would have walked a brighter path in life." Ignacy pulled out Naruto's frog shaped wallet and started rummaging through it.

"You're really going to rob me, right in my face?"

"You have no more use for this money. Besides I must restock the master's kitchen. Your clan mate Tayuya ate almost half of our food."

"Don't call her my clan mate. She's no kin to me."

Ignacy took the money from the wallet and walked over to face Naruto.

"That reminds me of something that I was curious about. Why was Tadakatsu so quick to sell you out? I would think that with so few of your clan left you would choose to be allies."

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious is all. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"There isn't really much to tell. Me and those two were brought up in a hard place. They didn't help me when I needed it but they expected me to come help them when they decided they wanted to rebuild the clan. I told them to fuck off and they didn't appreciate it."

"What about the cousin Tadakatsu mentioned?"

"... She's the only direct relative I have left. She was there for me when I needed it most and I owe it to her to help her when she needs it."

"But does she want your help? If what Tadakatsu said is true then she is happy where she is."

"Let me tell you something about Tadakatsu. He's an actor. The Tadakatsu that you know isn't the real him. Neither is the Tadakatsu that my cousin knows. I can see inside his heart. There's more hate and rage inside of him than in anyone I've ever met. He carries in him the vengeful spirit of the entire Uzumaki clan. He won't stop with just rebuilding our clan. He'll try and avenge it. He'll spread his hatred and I don't want my cousin anywhere near him when that happens."

"Very interesting mister Naruto. Very interesting indeed."

"I bothered to tell you what you wanted to know. Mind telling me something in return?"

"I don't see any reason why not. What did you have in mind?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"Myself? I'm just an old war dog that's past his prime. I took a job as Gato's butler a few years ago and I decided to stay on when his son took over."

"Can you tell me about Gato's son?"

"I'd rather not spoil the surprise. Just know that Gato's son isn't the same kind of weak man as his father."

Ignacy walked back over to the table and started looking in Naruto's other pocket for valuables.

"Really dude?"

"Yes really. What's this now?" Ignacy pulled out a smooth circular mirror. It looked like it was carved from a piece of crystal or ice. It was beautiful the way it refracted the light from the lantern.

 _"Is that what Haku slipped into my pocket?"_

"This is an interesting find. I wonder how much I can sell this for?" Ignacy peered into the mirror and admired his own face. He looked good for an older man he had to admit. Suddenly the face in the mirror changed to that of a masked youth. A hand reached through the mirror and grabbed Ignacy by the face. Ignacy dropped the mirror but the hand kept it's hold on Ignacy's face and dragged him down to the ground. The hand began repeatedly smashing Ignacy's face into the mirror until he was unconscious.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Naruto screamed.

The hand shoved Ignacy out of the way and the mirror began expanding until it was big enough for Haku to pull his whole body through.

"SHH!" He motioned to Naruto to keep quiet.

"How the hell did you just do that?"

"I have the bloodline trait of ice. One of the ice styles techniques is the crystal ice mirrors. I can travel between the mirrors at will so I slipped one into your pocket." Haku's hand began glowing white. He touched one of the seals binding Naruto's hands and the paper began to freeze. When it was fully frozen Haku shattered the seal freeing Naruto.

"Oh my god Haku, I can't thank you enough for this."

"Don't mention it Naruto."

"No, I have to repay you somehow. I promise I'll get you laid or something when we get out of here."

"This is no time for you to be silly. Gather your things and let's go."

"You got it Haku. By the way, I was unconscious for the entire trip here. Where are we and how long was I out?"

"We're on an island off the coast of lightning country. You've been out for about three days."

"That long? How far out are we from the mainland?"

"Not far. I was able to create a bridge made of ice and run to this island."

"I hope Karui and Omoi made it back to the village with the prisoners. If they did then there should be ANBU squads searching all over for me. If we can get back to the mainland we should be safe."

How is your shoulder? Can you fight?"

"That wolf managed to sink his teeth pretty deep. I won't be at a hundred percent for awhile but I think I should be good enough to help us get out of here."

"You two aren't going anywhere."

Naruto and Haku turned toward the door and saw Ignacy standing there wielding a sword that was hidden in his cane. He touched the seal on the door and it started glowing red.

"Shit..." Haku cursed out loud.

"Haku, what kind of seal is that?"

"An alarm seal."

"You took me by surprise but I won't let you do it again." Ignacy stabbed at Haku with his blade but Haku deflected it to the side with a kunai. With a swift kick to Ignacy's wrist Haku disarmed him. Ignacy staggered away holding his wrist in pain.

Naruto took the opportunity to jump in between the two and get some payback for the way Ignacy tried to rob him. Naruto leapt up and grabbed Ignacy's head between his legs.

"HURRICANRANA!" Naruto yelled before flipping backwards and sending Ignacy flying torwards Haku. Haku grabbed Ignacy in mid air and slammed him through the table. Naruto's clothes and the lantern went flying off but luckily Naruto was able to snatch the lantern before it hit the ground and broke.

"Nice powerbomb Haku!"

"Powerbomb?"

"Never mind. Give me some cover while I change. It'll only take a second."

Naruto threw on his pants quickly but decided that his jacket and shirt were too far gone. He left them behind but remembered to take back the money that Ignacy stole from his wallet.

"Let's get out of here. What's the plan? Are you going to pull me through one of those ice mirrors with you?"

"I can't. Only members of my clan can go through the mirrors. We're going to have to get out the old fashioned way."

"We need to find the master of the house first. The old guy let it slip that he has the key to the extra seal they put on my stomach. I can't leave with out that."

Suddenly the door was kicked open and an army of goons came piling in.

"Took you guys long enough! It wouldn't be fun if we didn't have to fight our way through an army of you mooks!"

Meanwhile in the woods right outside the mansion, Zabuza was scoping the place out. Haku had the presence of mind to leave his tracks exposed and easy to follow knowing that Zabuza was sure to come after him.

 **Flashback**

Zabuza stared down the two cloud genin as they explained the situation to him.

"Sound ninja huh? That makes sense. Those clowns have been pretty active since their last leader died. I wouldn't be surprised if someone hired them to take in a jinchuriki. Listen up you two, you should go back to your village and finish your mission. Reporting to your leader that he's gone is the best thing you can do for him now."

"What are you going to do?" Karui asked.

"Knowing Haku, he's going to try and rescue that boy. I'm going to go make sure the idiot doesn't get himself killed."

 **Flashback end**

 _"I hope those kids listened to my advice. The last thing I need is amateurs getting in my way."_

Zabuza was snapped out of his thoughts when a spear made of ice shot out of a window and embedded itself into the trunk of the tree he was hiding in.

 _"There he is."_

Zabuza leapt into action.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Haku were doing well in their fight against the thugs. Naruto was having trouble due to his injury but he was holding his own. The two ended up back to back surrounded.

"This seal on my stomach is screwing with my chakra. I can't even sense properly."

"Lucky for you, I'm here." Haku began weaving hand signs and the air around them was filled with icy spears. They shot out in all directions and the enemies around them were all incapacitated.

Naruto grabbed one of the still conscious ones and started slapping him around.

"WHERE'S YOUR BOSS!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"WHERE'S YOUR BOSS!"

"GO TO HELL!"

Haku took the man from Naruto and jammed a senbon needle into one of his pressure points.

"AGH!

"I'm a master of acupuncture. If you tell me where your boss is then I'll make the pain go away."

"HE'S IN HIS OFFICE ON THE TOP FLOOR! YOU CAN'T MISS IT!"

"Awesome!" Naruto yelled excitedly.

His outburst was poorly timed however as more thugs began pouring in from other rooms and surrounded them once again.

"HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK FOR THIS ASSHOLE?!"

"He's a crime boss, Naruto. Chances are he's got a lot working for him." Haku dropped the man he was interrogating without removing the needle stuck in his pressure point.

"Screw these clowns! Let's go right for the big fish! Clear us a path!"

Haku did just that and the two made their way to the stairs that led to the top floor.

"Follow them!" The remaining thugs yelled.

"You should be more concerned with me." Zabuza coldly stated from outside the window. He hopped in and began cutting up the poor fools who stood in his way.

When Naruto and Haku got to the top floor they found the room that Gato was sure to be in. There were thugs stationed outside of it but Haku cleared a path for Naruto to slip past. He kicked in the door and dramatically jumped in.

"NARUTO IS HERE TO KICK YOUR ASS!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically.

Suddenly the door behind him slammed shut separating him from Haku. There was no light source in the room so Naruto found himself in total darkness.

"To be honest I was hoping that you would escape. I've always wanted to test myself against one of your kind."

"Who said that? Come out of the dark and face me coward!"

"As you wish."

The lights turned on and Naruto started to analyze the room. There was a huge window but it was covered by drapes blocking any light from coming in. In front of it was an enormous chair that was turned around to hide the man sitting in it. In front of that was a desk. The desk had assorted papers and supplies laying on it but the most surprising thing on the desk was a butter knife laying next to a plate with a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"What are you, twelve years old? What kind of grown man eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?"

"What kind of ninja eats almost exclusively ramen?"

"... How did you?"

"I made it my business to know about the people who put down my father. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shishio Gato."

The chair spun around and Gato's son stood up and finally showed himself.

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. How could this man in front of him be the son of that pipsqueak Gato?

Shishio was for lack of a better term, a giant. He was easily over seven feet tall and was stacked with muscles visibly showing through his yellow samurai style robe. His long blond hair was wild and resembled the mane of a lion. His eyes were cold and sharp like a predator. He had a sword strapped to his side that must have been at least as big as Naruto himself.

"You can't possibly be Gato's son! You're huge!"

"I was lucky enough to take after my mother. My father compensated for his small stature by courting taller women." Shishio motioned to Naruto to come to him.

"Did you not come to fight? I have the key to the seal on your stomach. All you must do is defeat me to take it."

"I...I DON'T CARE HOW BIG YOU ARE!" Naruto charged at Shishio. He jumped on the man's desk and tried to punch him in the face. Gato did nothing to block the attack and took it full force.

"Impressive for a child. Perhaps if you had time to mature you would become a great warrior. Sadly the process that removes the fox from your body is deadly." Shishio casually back handed Naruto and sent him flying off of his desk.

Naruto managed to flip in mid air and land on his feet but before he could compose himself Shishio was already on him and delivered a devastating punch to his stomach. Naruto fell to the floor coughing up blood.

"It's a shame that you have that seal on your stomach. I would have loved to fight you at full power. I'm not an unfair man however. Feel free to choose a weapon from my collection if you like." Shishio pointed to the wall on his right. There was a rack of katanas decorating it.

Naruto scrambled over to the wall and grabbed one of the katanas. He pointed it at Shishio who casually walked over to his desk and picked up the butter knife.

"Come at me then."

Naruto jumped high into the air and came down on Shishio with all of his might. His blade clashed with Shishio's and Naruto couldn't believe his eyes when the butter knife began glowing with intense chakra and blocked the katana as if it were nothing.

"You thought that I was going to be a weakling just like my father, but I am one of the strongest Samurai in the world today."

Naruto backed away. "I don't get it! How are you so powerful!?"

"My father may have been a weak swine, but my mother was the greatest samurai of her generation. She taught me everything she knows."

 _"This guy... I can't beat this guy."_


	43. Chapter 43

ch. 43

Naruto racked his brain for a solution to the seven-foot tall problem staring him down. This man was a force to be reckoned with and Naruto knew he was no match for him in a straight fight. If he was going to survive this encounter then he was going to have to make a plan.

 _"Damn it! I usually have Kurama to help me think. I'm not used to this... Maybe if I stall for time Haku will finish off the guys outside and come give me some back up."_

"I don't get you Shishio. How does a guy like Gato hook up with a woman like your mother?"

"Gato wanted an heir. My mother wanted money. It's as simple as that."

"They didn't love each other?"

"Of course not. Neither me or my mother felt any attachment to that man. He was nothing more to us than a source of income."

"If you didn't care about your father then why are you trying so hard to avenge him?"

"I'm not."

"What? Then why did you send Tadakatsu after me?"

"Because you're worth quite a bit of money to the right people. You see, anything that I've done that could be seen as avenging my father was simply to appease the people in his organization that believed I should seek revenge. I sent a token force after the man who put the contract on his life, not caring whether or not they succeeded. I would have done the same to you but then I heard of the demon you hold. I decided I could make a considerable amount of money off it so I sent Tadakatsu to kidnap you. If he succeeded then I would sell you to whoever offered the most money. If he failed then I wouldn't have lost anything of real value. Common mercs like him are a dime a dozen. Enough talk, let's continue the fight."

"You're... Cold blooded."

"If you aren't going to come to me then I'll just go to you." Shishio said before appearing in front of Naruto in the blink of an eye. He smashed Naruto's face against the wall and held him there.

"Your body truly is resilient. The stories about your clan weren't exaggerated I see."

"I-I won't give up!"

"Then you're a fool. You have no chance of defeating me alone."

Suddenly the door was violently swung open and Haku came flying into the room.

"He's not alone!" Haku charged right at Shishio but was snatched by the throat and lifted off the ground by the giant.

"Idiot child."

Haku grabbed Shishio's hand and started pumping his ice chakra into it. Shishio's hand quickly started to freeze over. Shishio let go of the two and backed away. He examined his hand closely, doing well to hide the pain he was in. He was lucky to get away when he did. A little longer and he may have lost his hand. He started pumping chakra into his hand to accelerate the thawing process. Within a few seconds his hand was back to normal.

"Ice style and an Uzumaki. The heirs of two dead clans at the same time eh? A challenge I am more than willing to take on." Shishio unsheathed the sword strapped to his side and pointed it at Haku.

"Are you willing to step up to the challenge of one of the seven swordsmen?" Everyone turned to the doorway to see Zabuza standing there. He had his sword at the ready and was covered in the blood of the thugs he killed on his way there.

"Zabuza of the seven swordsmen. Yes, that is a challenge worthy of my power." Shishio pointed his sword at Zabuza and the two elite warriors sized each other up.

"Haku, you and the runt stay out of this. You'll only get in my way."

"Yes sir."

In a display of speed that Naruto could barely keep up with, Zabuza and Shishio clashed blades.

"Impressive speed for one with such a massive weapon." Shishio complimented.

"And you've got a lot of power behind your strikes. I won't be able to just muscle through you like I can most opponents." The two began dueling in an epic display of blade work. Naruto tried to watch but they were too fast for his inexperienced eyes to keep up with.

"Naruto, while those two are fighting we should check his desk for the seal key. Just in case it's in there."

"Good idea."

Naruto and Haku snuck over to Shishio's desk. They started shifting through the papers in the drawers one by one. When they reached the final drawer it was locked.

"Jackpot." Naruto said. He was about to rip the drawer out of the desk but Haku stopped him.

"That's not a good idea. Allow me." Haku took out a pair of lock picks and opened the drawer with an impressive display of lock picking skill. There was a seal on top of the stack of papers in the drawer.

"If you had ripped the drawer out of the desk you would have set off the trap. It looks like a sleeper bomb. It would have released a cloud of knockout gas."

"That would have sucked."

Haku froze the trap like he did the seals holding Naruto. He removed it from the drawer and went digging through the stack of papers until he found what they were looking for.

"Bingo!" Naruto took the seal and applied the key to his stomach. It vanished and the connection between Naruto and Kurama was restored.

 _"Kurama! Let's get the hell out of here, give me some chakra... Kurama?"_

 ** _"N-Naruto? Something Tadakatsu did to you... So tired... Can't stay awake... Ugh."_**

 _"Kurama! Kurama, wake up! DAMN IT!"_

"I've got some good news and I got some bad news. The good news is that the key worked. The bad news is that something is wrong with Kurama. I can't get any chakra from him. It's like he's being put to sleep by something."

"Could it be... The sound ninja gave you some kind of pill when they kidnapped you. Do you think that has something to do with it?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter right now though. We need to decide what we're going to do about the big man."

"You should leave out the window. Don't worry about me and Zabuza. We can take him."

"I'm not leaving you guys behind. You guys went out of your way to save me. I'm not gonna turn my back on you after that."

"... You really are something else Naruto."

They turned their attention to the duel between Zabuza and Shishio. Zabuza was on the defensive with Shishio bombarding him with chakra enhanced strikes. Zabuza was able to deflect a stab from Shishio to the side and he used the opening to knock him away with a mighty front kick. It forced the air out of Shishio's lungs and he had to catch his breath for a second afterwards. Zabuza took the opportunity to cover the room in a blinding mist with his specialty jutsu.

"It's over. Zabuza's silent killing technique is unmatched." Haku commented.

"Silent killing technique?" Naruto asked.

"It's an art taught to the greatest assassins in the mist village."

Shishio stood completely still in the mist. He had his weapon ready to strike out at any moment. Suddenly he turned around and blocked an attack from Zabuza.

"Do not take me for the kind of weakling you can defeat with a cheap trick such as this."

Zabuza retreated back into the mist.

"Impressive that you could block that. Let's see if you can do it again." Zabuza launched another attack at Shishio. Shishio was barely able to deflect it. Zabuza kept coming at Shishio at different angles. Shishio was able to keep his cool through out the relentless assault but it was starting to take his toll on him. Eventually Shishio's weapon was knocked from his hand, leaving him defenseless.

"Stop! I surrender. Spare me and I shall pay you."

"How much is your life worth to you?"

"I'm willing to pay whatever you consider a fair price. The boy will be free to go as well."

"I thought you samurai were supposed to be a lot better than this. I'm disappointed."

Zabuza appeared before Shishio.

"I want a million."

"Then you'll have a million. I'm going to reach into my robe for a seal that will summon my servant Ignacy. If he isn't dead then he'll come and I will arrange for him to pay you."

"Go ahead. If there is any funny business I will kill you. Remember that."

"I'm a samurai. I am honor bound to respect an enemy who has defeated me. You have no reason to worry.

The mist cleared and Shishio took out the seal. He pumped his chakra into it and a few tense minutes later Ignacy limped into the room.

"Master?"

"Ignacy, take my key and go into the vault. Take out a million. Do it fast." Shishio tossed a key to him. Ignacy bowed and limped away.

"This doesn't smell right. They're probably gonna try something." Naruto whispered to Haku.

"I trust Zabuza to be able to handle anything they may try."

Ignacy limped back into the room with a bag filled with money. He tossed it at Zabuza. Zabuza lifted the bag up.

"That feels like a million all right."

"He can tell how much money is in there by the weight?"

"One of Zabuza's many talents, Naruto."

Zabuza turned around and looked at Naruto and Haku.

"Let's get out of here."

Ignacy smiled and pointed the bottom of his cane at Zabuza's back.

"LOOK OUT!" Naruto yelled in vain.

Ignacy pressed a button hidden in his cane and a dart shot out of the bottom at an insane speed. Zabuza couldn't react in time. The dart hit him in the back. He ripped the dart out and turned around ready to strike down the bastard for his cowardly attack. He didn't have a chance because Shishio blindsided him with a punch to the face. Zabuza slumped to the floor.

"Zabuza!" Haku cried out. He was about to run to him but Naruto held him back.

"Stop! You'll just get yourself killed!"

"What the hell... I feel so weak all of a sudden." Zabuza said.

"Remind me to give you a raise Ignacy. Your inventions never cease to amaze me. What do you call the weapon you hide in the bottom of your cane again?"

"I call it my boomstick. I can fire off a projectile so fast that even a kage would have a hard time avoiding it."

"Yes, and remind me to send a thank you to your friend who makes the poison."

"Of course sir. I'm sure Sasori will be pleased to hear his poisons are being used effectively."

"H-How? Samurai are supposed to be honorable..." Zabuza managed to say despite his worsening condition.

"Honor is nothing but a shackle that limits what a man can do to preserve his own life. I cast it aside a long time ago." Shishio said before he back handed Zabuza. Zabuza managed to force himself back up to his feet.

"Haku! RUN!" Shishio took out a small knife hidden in his robe and stabbed Zabuza through the chest.

"ZABUZA!"


	44. Chapter 44

ch. 44

"ZABUZA!"

Zabuza's body fell to the ground with a thud. Tears began streaming from Haku's eyes as he stared slack jawed at his partners body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Haku screamed as the air around him became frigid in an instant. Naruto flinched from the sudden temperature change.

"Haku!?" He didn't receive an answer. Haku just kept building up power until the room was as cold as an arctic tundra.

"Ignacy..."

"Yes master?"

"RUN!"

Nearby on the main land there was a group of four cloud village ANBU desperately searching for Naruto. One of them suddenly stopped.

"Hey, I just sensed a flare up of chakra in that direction. It might be him." They took off toward the chakra signature.

Back on the island, Naruto was carrying Haku through the forest around the mansion.

"Uh... What?" Haku mumbled as he awoke.

"Naruto? What happened?"

Naruto turned around so that Haku could see what he had done. Haku's jaw dropped when he saw the gigantic ice spears that were sticking out of the top of the mansion.

 _"It's just like the time when my father killed my mother."_

"You went crazy and tore the place up with those. Shishio and his butler got away though. Shishio punched a hole through his floor and they got away by jumping down."

"Zabuza!"

"I'm sorry. He was already... Shishio took his sword but I grabbed all of his other stuff. I figure he would want you to have it all."

"Zabuza..." The tears started falling from Haku's face again. Naruto didn't say anything. He just kept walking until they reached the shore.

"Where's the ice bridge you told me about?"

"It probably melted by now. I don't have enough chakra to make another one either."

"Hmm... I can get us across. Just leave it to me."

Naruto created three clones and instructed them to turn into a boat and oars. He set Haku down in the boat and started rowing them to shore.

"We're lucky. The water is calm." Naruto said.

"It's my fault."

"What?"

"If I had killed the old man then Zabuza wouldn't have died."

"Don't talk like that. You had no way of knowing that the old guy had that tricky cane."

"Zabuza was right when he said I was too soft."

"What's wrong with being soft?"

"It means that your weak."

"I don't see it that way."

"You're just naïve."

"Think of it this way... What would happen if you took a bowling ball and dropped it from a great height on a table?"

"The table would most likely break."

"What would happen if you dropped the same ball on a pillow?"

"The pillow would absorb the impact. Where are you going with this?"

"Wouldn't you rather be a soft pillow in that situation?"

"... I understand the point that you're trying to get across but that analogy doesn't really work. What about if the roles are reversed? If you throw the pillow at a table or a bowling ball then the pillow can't possibly do any damage."

"It could if you set it on fire."

"... Haha." Haku smiled for a second.

"I needed that laugh. Thank you." Haku wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back on the island.

 _"Zabuza..."_

"You know... Zabuza would want you to be strong and keep going."

"You're right. I already lived through the death of my mother and father. This feeling is no stranger to me. It'll take some time but I won't just give up. I'll keep living."

Back at the mansion Shishio and Ignacy were walking through the halls. Shishio had Zabuza's sword slung over his shoulder.

"You don't intend to chase after those two?"

"I wouldn't catch them before they made it to shore. The mainland is crawling with ANBU by now so it's better that we cut our losses and get out before we're up to our ears in cloud shinobi."

"Shall I prepare the boats for a departure by sea?"

"Yes. I'm going to go to the vault and get all of the money. Go get the maids. Bring them to my father's summer home in earth country."

"Why there sir?"

"Earth country won't extradite us to the cloud village. Tadakatsu gave me an interesting bit of information regarding Naruto's father. It's a piece of information that should be valuable to them."

"I will do as you ask sir. After you empty the vault what will you do?"

When is your next meeting with your associate Sasori?"

"In five days at the usual place."

"I will go in your stead."

"You intend to ask him if you can join his organization?"

"I defeated one of the seven swordsmen. This should be proof enough that I am worthy to join them."

"You should take this then." Ignacy handed Shishio a small vial.

"I created a vaccine for the poison he sold to me. Sasori is foul tempered and may try and attack you. Use that if he manages to poison you."

"Thank you my friend. I'll give you another raise on top of the one I already promised."

"You're a generous master."

"Take care of my maids while you are on the road with them."

"We'll be fine. If those girls can handle being intimate with you then they can handle a few bandits on the road."

"Ha, you speak the truth."

Back on the main land, Naruto was helping Haku out of the boat when a bunch of ANBU came out of nowhere and surrounded them.

"Thank god! I really didn't want to come looking for you guys." Naruto excitedly said.

"Master Naruto, we're glad to see that you're alright. Who is the girl you're carrying?"

"HIS name is Haku. HE helped save me and I want to bring HIM back to the village for medical treatment."

"I understand that you will have to keep guards around me because I'm a foreign ninja. I will willingly relinquish all of my tools and weapons. I will also willingly allow a chakra dampening seal to be placed on me so that I can not perform jutsu." Haku said.

The ANBU looked at each other and nodded. They took Haku from Naruto and carefully placed the seal on his forehead after Haku removed his headband. They also confiscated all of his tools.

Haku looked at his headband for a few seconds before tossing it into the nearby water.

"I don't need that anymore."

The ANBU began their trip back to the village with Naruto and Haku in tow.

It took them a few days to get back to the village. Kurama woke up in the middle of their travels and started conversing with Naruto again.

 ** _"Naruto?"_**

 _"Kurama? What happened back there? Why did you crap out on me?"_

 ** _"Before I explain what happened I need to tell you something. Back when we tailed beasts were first brought into this world by our father the sage, we were like human infants. Like human infants we needed nourishment and sleep. Our father let us feed off of his chakra until we became self-sustaining and he put us to sleep by enveloping us in his chakra like a blanket. Karin inherited a type of chakra that's very similar to that of the sage. That's why we never had contact until after Orochimaru took her away from you."_**

 _"So Karin's chakra put you to sleep?"_

 ** _"Basically, yeah. Tadakatsu gave you a pill that was infused with her chakra. It knocked me out for a few days."_**

 _"Damn. I'm gonna have a lot of explaining to do when we get back."_

 ** _"Hey Naruto, I've got a funny idea."_**

 _"What?"_

 ** _"When we get back and you tell Yugito about how Haku saved you, tell her that Haku is a female and that you lost your virginity to her."_**

 _"What the fuck!?"_

 ** _"I just want to see how she reacts!"_**

 _"Fuck you! I'm not doing that!"_

 ** _"You're no fun."_**


	45. Chapter 45

ch. 45

The door to the hospital flew open and Yugito ran in and grabbed the first nurse she saw.

"Where is he!?"

"Room 109 miss Yugito. The raikage and lord Bee are already there."

Yugito ran through the halls until she found Naruto's room. She flew in and found Naruto being questioned by the raikage and Bee. She pushed past them and threw her arms around Naruto. She started crying hysterically and kissing him all over his face. Naruto just hugged her back and let her get it all out.

After about a minute Yugito let Naruto go and wiped the remaining tears from her face.

"What happened?" She finally asked.

"He was just about to explain it to us." The raikage answered.

Naruto recounted the events that happened during their mission. Karui and Omoi had already given a full report of what happened leading up to Naruto's capture but he told them everything from his side too. He went on to explain everything that happened after Haku rescued him including his fight with Gato's son and the death of Zabuza.

A just rubbed his eyes. He was clearly unhappy with the situation.

"Have you interrogated the prisoners yet?"Naruto asked the raikage.

"We've tried. They won't say anything voluntarily. We're going to have to rely on other methods."

"You mean torture?"

"Possibly."

"Let me talk to them before you do that. I've got an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"I'm gonna make them an offer, but I need your okay for it."

Elsewhere Omoi was in his home, sitting on his couch. He had the television on but he wasn't paying attention to it. He was reminiscing on the day him and Naruto first met.

 **Flashback**

"We've got a new student today class." The teacher announced. Naruto walked into the room and looked at all of the other students.

"Introduce yourself please." The teacher instructed.

"Hi there! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

Everyone in the room greeted him.

"There's an empty seat in the back of the room next to Omoi. Please take a seat so we can get started." Naruto did as instructed and the teacher began his lecture for the day.

After a few minutes Naruto turned to Omoi and began whispering in his ear.

"Is he always this boring?"

"Yeah. Don't worry though. After this is sparring sessions. Those are a lot more fun, as long as you don't get paired with that girl down there." Omoi pointed out a girl with red hair sitting in the front row.

"Her name is Karui. She's super tough and always wins her spars."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Later that day when everyone was getting ready for the spars, Naruto stood out in the middle of the practice ring.

"I hereby challenge the toughest student in the class to a one on one duel!"

All of the other students started laughing at him. The teacher decided to grant the boy his ridiculous request thinking that Karui would defeat him easily and knock his ego down a little.

Naruto and Karui stared each other down. They charged at each other and when they met in the middle Karui knocked him down with a flying jump kick. Naruto rolled away and the other students started laughing at him. The teacher wasn't happy that Karui was so rough with the newcomer but before he could scold her Naruto stood back up as if nothing even happened.

"That kick was super strong!"

"Huh! No one's ever gotten up after I've hit them that hard!" Karui exclaimed shocked.

"You're really strong. Do you wanna be friends?" Naruto asked the girl. He walked back over to her and extended his hand.

Karui very wearily took his hand and shook it.

"Aw, aren't the two love birds cute!" One of the kids in the crowd said. Karui didn't take that joke kindly. with out thinking she lifted Naruto over her head and threw him at the taunting student.

"WE ARE NOT LOVE BIRDS!"

Naruto crashed into the student and the teacher was furious. He grabbed Karui and dragged her off to the principals office. On his way there he instructed Omoi to take Naruto and the other kid to the school nurse.

Naruto was fine but the other kid was out cold so Naruto helped Omoi carry him away.

"That girl is scary." Naruto said to Omoi in the halls.

"You haven't seen anything yet. I feel bad for whoever gets put on a team with her when she graduates."

"Yeah. Hey, do you wanna hang out after school?"

 **Flashback end**

Omoi's attention was brought to the sound of someone pounding on his front door. He ran over and opened it. Karui was standing there out of breath and sweating.

"HE'S ALIVE!"

Back at the hospital Naruto was being allowed out to go talk to the three sound genin. He was brought to the interrogation department and sat in one of the rooms. He looked back at the two-way mirror in the room and flashed a thumbs up, knowing his sister, Bee, and the raikage were all watching from there. He didn't need to wait long for the three sound genin to be brought in. Dosu sat directly in front of Naruto with Zaku at his right and Kin at his left.

"I'm surprised you're alive." Dosu said.

"I'm full of surprises. I would have thought you three realized that by now."

"What do you want from us blondie?"

"I just have a few questions I want to ask."

"Piss off."

"You should be a lot nicer to me. I talked the raikage out of using torture on you guys. If you don't appreciate my kindness then I can let them go to town on you three."

"... Fine. What did you want to know?"

"When you guys were still working for Orochimaru did you ever see a red haired girl named Karin?"

"The healer? She was usually on Tadakatsu's arm. The same with that crazy witch, Tayuya. When those three weren't together, Karin was in the lab. She was pretty smart from what I remember. Orochimaru gave her free reign to experiment."

"Was she working on some kind of medicine?"

"I don't know. I didn't spend much time around those three."

"Okay then. Tell me about yourself then."

"Why? What do you care?"

"I just want to understand why you three worked for Orochimaru in the first place."

"... We're all orphans. Orochimaru recruited a lot of orphans when he was building up the sound village."

"I understand. I can't really blame you for joining him. He probably offered you the world on a silver platter."

"Yes he did, and it was a load of bullshit." Zaku interrupted.

"I thought we agreed I was going to do all the talking?" Dosu scolded.

"Sorry, but I just had to get that out."

"If you guys hate Orochimaru so much then why don't you help us take out the rest of his forces?" Naruto whistled and an ANBU walked into the room holding an envelope. He handed it to Naruto.

"This envelope contains three contracts. If you sign them then you'll officially be declared cloud genin." Naruto opened the envelope and set it down so that they could read one of the contracts inside.

"What!? You're offering us citizenship?"

"Don't get your hopes up here. There are tons of rules and regulations in the contract. The first of which is that you three have to tell us everything you know about the sound, including the locations of all their bases. You'll be closely monitored until the raikage believes the three of you are trustworthy, which may never even happen so keep that in mind."

"The alternative is torture I presume?"

"That's right. You're lucky that I managed to talk the raikage into this deal in the first place."

"Why? Why do you care what happens to us?"

"For a couple of reasons. The first is that I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you three are all that bad, just victims of circumstance. The second reason is that you guys are so hopelessly inept that even if you did try to betray the village, you would fail miserably."

"Motherfucker." Zaku blurted out before Dosu elbowed him in the side for his outburst.

"Do we have a deal or not?"

"... Give us some time to read the contracts first."

"Fine then." Naruto got up and left.

Yugito took Naruto back to the hospital where Karui and Omoi were waiting for him. When he walked into his room they jumped him with a group hug.

"How the hell did you escape!? Karui and Omoi simultaneously asked.

Naruto explained everything and they all decided to go see Haku to thank him for everything he did. They walked in on an amusing scene.

"Miss Haku, you're dirty, please allow me to give you a sponge bath."

"I'm not disabled, I can give myself a sponge bath!"

"Miss Haku please."

"I'm a boy god damn it!"

"Miss Haku, just because your breasts haven't developed yet doesn't make you a boy."

"Do you wanna see my dick? Then get out and let me wash myself!" Haku snatched the sponge from the nurse and the angry woman stormed off.

"Fine, have it your way." She angrily snapped as she walked past Naruto and friends.

"I would have let her give me the sponge bath." Naruto said with a big goofy smile.

"That's because you're a huge pervert." Haku said with a small smile. He tossed the sponge back into a bucket of water next to his bed.

"Who is that?" Haku asked pointing at Yugito.

"My name is Yugito. I'm Naruto's guardian. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for him. I don't know what I might have done if Naruto didn't make it back."

"You don't need to thank me. I couldn't leave a comrade behind."

"That's funny. Naruto said something about not leaving comrades behind when he convinced me to let you live with us."

Haku's eyes went wide.

"You... Are you serious?"

"Yes. If you wish it then you can move in as soon as you get discharged from the hospital. We've already arranged for the proper paper work to be brought to you later. Naruto tells me that you have a rare bloodline so the process of gaining citizenship will be a little different. This is all assuming that you do want to stay with us."

"I... I don't have anywhere else to go. I hate my motherland and I don't really know anyone now that Zabuza is dead. I will gladly accept your offer."

"I'm glad to hear it. You should know that you'll be carefully monitored for awhile."

"I understand."

"You'll also have to give a sample of genetic material to be used in the event that you fall in battle. This way your bloodline can live on."

"What about my rank?"

"You'll have to start at the bottom and work your way up from genin. Just focus on getting rest for now. We'll sort out all the details later." Yugito walked up and kissed Haku on the forehead.

"Welcome to the family." She rubbed his hair before walking out. Haku was blushing from the sudden contact. He put his hands over his groin, which immediately got Naruto's attention.

"Teehee, did my sister just give you a stiffy?"

"What? I..."

"I'm just messing with you. Lighten up." Naruto gave Haku a light punch on the shoulder.

"Seriously though, my sis already has a boyfriend so don't get any funny ideas."

"I-I Won't. I promise."

"Naruto, I'm gonna go back to training." Karui said before walking out.

"Okay. You gotta go get stronger so that your boyfriend doesn't have to run in and save you in the next chunin exams." Naruto taunted.

Karui turned around and grabbed Naruto by the throat.

"Ack! I was only joking!" He choked out

Karui smiled and kissed Naruto on the cheek.

"Welcome back dumbass." She let him go and walked off.

"What was that all about?" Haku asked.

"I'll explain later. The last chunin exams was pretty crazy."

"I think I'm gonna go join her." Omoi said.

"Okay then. I'll just stay here with Haku."

Omoi left and the only ones left in the room were Naruto and Haku. At least the only visible occupants in the room were Naruto and Haku. Haku had already found four ANBU transformed into random objects around the room. He paid them no mind. He wasn't planning anything suspicious so they were no threat to him.

"Hey Haku, there was something you said when we first met that I was curious about."

"Yeah Naruto?"

"You said something about getting a lot of unwanted attention for your looks. Have you ever had lesbians come at you thinking that you're a girl?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"I was just curious! That would be a really awkward situation wouldn't it? Like, you two are sitting on the bed feeling each other and then boom, she grabs your dick and starts freaking out."

"That's never happened to me and I hope it never does."

"If it does happen would you tell me?"

"If I say yes will you never ask me a question like that again?"

"Deal!"

Back at the interrogation department the three sound genin had come to a decision.

"Guard!" Dosu yelled. An ANBU came in.

"Grab us a pen will ya? We've got some contracts to sign.

A few hours later they were sitting across from the raikage with a world map.

"Tell us where all of the sound bases are."

Dosu took a pen and started marking the map.

"The home base is right here. It has the highest concentration of shinobi but the leader is rarely there. If Tadakatsu is the new leader and he's been in this country hounding blondie, then I reckon he's right here. Orochimaru only had one base in this country because he was more concerned with the leaf village. He was obsessed with destroying them. To my knowledge he had at least four bases in fire country and keep in mind we don't even know of all of his bases and labs."

"What can you tell me about the sound shinboi's skills and weapons?"

"All I can tell you is, be prepared for anything. Orochimaru not only created completely original jutsu but he found and bred dying blood lines. Numbers wise there aren't a lot of them but the sound village has a good amount of diversity."

"Hmm..." A contemplated this information.

"What would happen if Tadakatsu died? Would the rest of the sound forces fall apart with out their leader?"

"No doubt in my mind. No other shinobi in the sound has the brawn and the brain to command respect from all of those ninja."

"This is all important information. I'll be right back with more questions in a few hours.

A left the room. He motioned to an ANBU stationed in the hallway.

"I want you to send your best recon team to this area and find this base. You are not to engage anyone. Just find the base and if you can, verify that the leader of the sound village is there."

"I understand sir. I'll get it done."

 **Later that night**

Tadakatsu drove a carriage through the forest. They were clearly not in the mountainous lightning country anymore. The carriage hit a slight bump and Karin poked her head out of the side.

"Please be careful. I've got delicate instruments back here."

"It's all in storage scrolls. It'll be fine. Remind me again why we had to pack up your entire lab?"

"Because this equipment is necessary to make my chakra pills and it's incredibly expensive."

"I would have been willing to buy more of the equipment when we got to our destination."

"No. I'm not about to let you waste money like that."

"Fine... Is Tayuya asleep?"

"Yeah. I'm glad too. She kept complaining about how bored she was."

"If you two get bored back there, feel free to have a go at each other. I promise I won't get jealous. I may jump back there and join you, but I won't get jealous."

"Funny. Where are we going again?"

"One of the hide outs in fire country."

"Why?"

"I got a message saying they needed me out there."

"Why did me and Tayuya have to come along?"

"It was hard enough for me to leave you for a couple of days at a time when we were back in lightning country. I don't know if I can live whole countries apart from you, baby."

"Aww, you always know just what to say to me."

"There should be a hot spring resort nearby. You want to rest there tonight?"

"As long as you don't do anything embarrassing to get us kicked out."

"What! I would never do anything like that!"

"The last time you took me to a hot spring you attacked some guy just for asking me where the bathrooms were."

"That asshole had it coming! He was flirting with you and I swear he was staring at your butt when you turned around."

"That doesn't give you the right to break both of his arms!"

"Whatever. Do you want to go to this hot spring or not?"

"Fine."

At around that same time, Naruto was sitting in his hospital bed with a pen and paper, getting ready to write out a message for Hinata.

"Dear Hinata

You won't believe the shit I just went through!"


	46. Chapter 46

ch. 46

Tsunade stared at the clock as the hands struck six and twelve. A few seconds later, Ino and Sakura walked in and sat at their desks. They were in a training room that Tsunade had set up for them in the hokage tower. Each desk had a scroll on it.

"Where's Hinata?" Tsunade asked.

"She said that she had to do something real quick before she got here." Sakura answered.

"That's ridiculous. What could she possibly have to do that's more important than"

Hinata burst through the door right as the time on the clock struck six o one.

"I'm s-sorry lady Tsunade." The stutter wasn't from Hinata's shyness for once, but from having to stop for a second to catch her breath.

"You look like you just ran a marathon Hinata." Ino commented.

"Don't make a habit out of coming late Hinata. Now open your scrolls and we'll start the lesson for the day."

After a short lecture the girls were instructed to practice their new jutsu on a fish. Tsunade watched them for a while before Shizune came in.

"Lady Tsunade, I need you for a few minutes."

"I'll be right back. Don't gossip while I'm gone. Keep at it."

She left with Shizune and as soon as the door closed, Hinata activated her byakugan to watch her.

"She's out of earshot." Hinata told her friends.

"Hey Hinata, what did you need to do that was so important?" Sakura asked.

"I had to pick up a package from the post office." Hinata lied.

"The mail man couldn't bring it to you?"

"Teehee, you don't get it forehead. It was obviously something she didn't want to risk her family seeing. Maybe a book of some kind? A certain new addition in a popular erotic series, perhaps?" Ino winked at Hinata and her face went red.

"Ugh, you two are such perverts. I'll never understand why so many people read that trash."

"Don't listen to the prude, Hinata. We have a right to read whatever we want."

"Tsunade is coming back." Hinata's blush subsided and she deactivated her byakugan.

"Floozy." Sakura said to Ino before Tsunade walked in, robbing Ino of her chance to retort.

"You three, Class is dismissed. I've got missions for you."

Tsunade handed each of them a mission scroll.

"Ino, we've received a request to investigate the fiance of a politician's daughter. There is suspicion of infidelity and they want us to confirm it. There is a low probability of combat for this one so just take one genin as back up. You should leave immediately."

"I understand lady hokage. I'll take Choji."

"Hinata, your mission will be much harder. As penance for being late, you and three genin must escort a merchant family to their home in the land of hot water. They want to stay tonight in the village to sight see, so you leave first thing in the morning."

"Yes lady hokage. I know I'll bring Kiba and Shino, but I don't know about the third."

"Take Sasuke Uchiha. He was also in your year in the academy correct?"

"Yes lady hokage."

"Sakura... You're to pull weeds at the local farms."

"WHAT!?"

"You're still a genin. As such you will continue to receive genin missions until you pass the chunin exams."

"This is bullshit! I'm just as strong as those two!"

"If you were, you would have passed the chunin exams."

"I... God damn it!" Sakura stormed off. After a few seconds Tsunade began laughing hysterically.

"Lady hokage?" Ino and Hinata asked.

"I was just messing with her. I'm actually going to send her on a recon mission with Guy's team."

"You're evil, lady hokage." Ino said with a big smile.

"You should go and prepare for your mission, Ino. Hinata, I've got one more thing to tell you about your mission before you leave."

Ino bowed and left.

"Hinata, I asked you to bring the Uchiha for a reason. I read in the boy's records that he has had problems with team work in the past. I want you to keep an eye on him during the mission. If he questions your authority or pulls any macho bull shit then tell me and I'll reprimand him. That boy needs to learn that being a ninja is more than just genetics."

"Yes, lady hokage."

"One more thing, if you're late to class again then I'll ban the toads from bringing you Naruto's messages."

"H-How did you know!?"

"Toads drink a lot. One of my slugs was at the same bar and she overheard one of them mention having to bring messages to a "pretty white eyed dame in the leaf village". It wasn't hard to guess who he was talking about. Do you understand? I'm letting this happen because I know that boy and trust him, but I will stop it if I think it puts you or the village in danger."

"I understand, lady hokage. I promise it won't come to that." Hinata bowed and ran out of the room. She was half way to her teams training grounds to tell Kiba and Shino about their new mission before she started thinking about what Tsunade had said.

 _"Wait a second. Summons drink, just like humans? They even have bars?"_ Hinata pushed the unimportant thoughts out of her head and kept going until she reached their training grounds. She knew Kiba was here from the overwhelming urine smell in the area.

 _"He must be practicing that tracking technique again."_ She activated her byakugan and found her team mates sparring a short distance from her. Shino knocked Kiba away with a spinning back hand and Akamaru ran to his master to check on him. Hinata ran over to see if he needed any medical attention.

"Are you okay, Kiba?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Son of a bitch got me clean,but nothing's broken."

"Why wasn't Akamaru helping you?"

"Shino thinks we should learn to fight on our own just in case we get into a situation where we can't rely on our animals."

"Judging by your poor performance, I was correct." Shino said. Kiba got mad and started growling at him, but Shino ignored him.

"Shouldn't you be at the hokage's tower?" Shino asked Hinata.

"Class was cancelled. We've got a mission. You two, me, and Sasuke are supposed to escort some merchants tomorrow."

"AWW! Why do we need to bring Sasuke? Ever since the chunin exams he's been a huge dick. A bigger one than usual I mean." Kiba complained.

"Please don't be confrontational. This is going to be my first mission as a chunin." Hinata pleaded.

"...Fine. But if that asshole tries me then he's going to regret it."

Believing that was the best answer she could expect from Kiba, Hinata left to go tell Sasuke.

"Hey, how come she didn't warn you not to fight with Sasuke?" Kiba asked Shino.

"Because she knows that I am much more level-headed than you."

"So, I'm just a hot-headed jackass then?"

"Your words, not mine." Shino walked away leaving an irritated Kiba.

Hinata found Sasuke practicing his fire jutsu in the adjacent training grounds. She wearily walked up to him while he was shooting a fire ball above the nearby lake.

"What do you want?" He asked when his jutsu died out.

"Lady Hokage just assigned you to my team for a mission."

"What kind of mission?"

"An escort. We leave tomorrow morning."

"Fine. I'll be ready."

After informing everyone on her team of their impending mission, Hinata found a nice quiet place to read the message from Naruto that she received that morning.

"Dear Hinata

You won't believe the shit I just went through! I'm okay now thanks to my new friend Haku, but I was in real trouble there for a moment. I'm getting closer to finding my cousin. We've got a lead on a couple of places she may be. I hope that we can find Karin soon. Oh, I never told you her name did I? Her name is Karin Uzumaki. I haven't seen her in years but she had red hair and had to wear glasses. Anyway, I know that you're probably super busy so I'll cut it off here.

Yours truly, Naruto."

Hinata took out her own scroll and scribbled down a message for Naruto.

"Dear Naruto

I've got to get ready for a mission in the morning so I'll make this quick. I'm glad to hear about the good news about your cousin, and your new friend. Things have been going good here. We've started to get a lot more missions recently which has been good for the village. Hopefully we'll get to see each other again soon.

Best wishes, Hinata."

Hinata delivered the message the way the toad instructed her to and left for home. When she arrived she went straight for her father's office to tell him about the mission.

"Daddy?" She said, poking her head through the door. Hiashi was looking over some documents at his desk.

"I'm extremely busy Hinata. What is it?"

"I've been assigned an escort mission for the morning. It's my first mission as a team leader." Hiashi looked up from his documents.

"That's good. What is your destination?"

"The land of hot water."

"The hot spring resort country? That's a three day trip at least, if you're escorting civilians. Make sure you pack plenty of food."

"I will."

Who is on your team? The Inuzuka and Aburame boys?"

"Them and Sasuke Uchiha."

"The Uchiha? That's rare for two ninja with special eyes to be put on the same team. Does the hokage expect much danger on this mission?"

"No. Sasuke was placed on my team to test his team work."

"I see... The hokage wishes to test the boy's ability to follow the chain of command when his superior officer is around his level of strength and experience. The Uchiha did have a bit of a problem with insubordination in that kind of situation. You must be firm in your decisions and not let him downplay your role as leader. Now go pack."

"Yes sir." Hinata bowed and left.

 _"This isn't just a test of the Uchiha's team work. It is a test of Hinata's leadership. If she can keep a Uchiha in line then she should be able to keep anyone in line."_ Hiashi thought to himself.


	47. Chapter 47

ch. 47

Hinata was surprised when she saw Sasuke sitting at the village gate before their mission started. She was usually the first person on her team to be ready for a mission.

"Where are the other two?" Sasuke asked.

"They should be here shortly." Hinata answered.

The two shared an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes while they waited. Hinata was nervous about the mission and about what her father and Tsunade had said about the Uchiha's record of insubordination. Thankfully Shino appeared and alleviated the tense situation.

"Hinata, where are our clients?" He asked.

"They should be here in a few minutes. Once Kiba shows up then we can discuss our strategy."

"BARK BARK!" Akamaru happily ran over to the group with Kiba close behind him.

"Now that we're all here, what should we do about formation?" Sasuke asked.

"Well... I was thinking that since I have the byakugan, I could take point. Our client's are supposed to be traveling in a horse driven carriage loaded with supplies. I think Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino should cover it from either side and for you to cover our rear." Hinata answered. Sasuke seemed satisfied with her formation which made Hinata glad that she wouldn't have to argue with him over it.

"Are those our clients?" Shino asked. Everyone turned around and saw a horse driven carriage with an old man at the reins. To put it bluntly, the old man looked nuts. He had a bushy white beard, a shiny bald head, and many of his teeth were made of silver.

"YEEHAW!" The old man bellowed. He drove the carriage up to the side of the team.

"Are you whippersnappers the ninja we hired?" He asked.

"Yes sir. My name is Hinata. These are Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Sasuke." Hinata introduced each of her companions who nodded to the old man.

"Pleased to meet ya. The name's Retsu. HEY BOY! YOU AND THE WIFE COME OUT AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!" He yelled unnecessarily loud.

Out of the back of the carriage came a man and a woman carrying a baby. They looked pretty normal for people traveling with such a strange old man.

"My name is Tanaka. Pleased to meet you." The man greeted.

"My name is Jade. Oh?" The baby in her arms started crying.

"I think she's hungry." The woman took the baby back into the carriage.

"Your baby is beautiful. What's her name?" Hinata asked.

"Thank you. Her name is Ibuki." Tanaka replied.

"Enough small talk, let's get on the road." The old man complained.

The four young ninja got in formation and started their journey. Hinata activated her byakugan and started scouting ahead. They traveled for hours with no enemies in sight. The old man thought it would help the time fly if he told stories about his life during the trip. The stories were every bit as nonsensical and outrageous as you would think.

"And that's the story of how I survived in the stomach of a sea monster for a month. What's another good one? Oh, how about the story of a man I saw defeat one hundred samurai with his bare hands? I was out traveling one year and wandered into this bar in the land of iron. I had heard that Samurai brew the greatest booze in the world so I was eager to try it out. Anyway, I walk into the bar and I see this guy. He had this spiky red hair and these huge rippling muscles. He had this unbelievable woman on his lap. My god was she stunning. Her breasts were at least a triple d cup, and her ass was perfect."

 _"Shameless."_ Hinata thought. She tried to keep her attention on the mission but the old man was loud and his voice was distracting.

"You don't see many women like that nowadays because the media has convinced all the females that being a skinny little toothpick is more attractive. A bunch of bullshit if you ask me. A real woman has thick curves and wide hips. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the guy who beat up all of the samurai. Well as it turns out, the woman the man had in his lap was married to a samurai. Her husband walked in right as she made the guy take a drink from a bottle she had stuck in between her breasts. That man was PISSED, I tell ya what. He took out his sword and threatened to kill his wife. That pissed off the red-haired man and he got in the samurai's face. "If you cut one hair on her head, I'll rip you in half!" the red-haired man yelled. The samurai told the red-haired man to back off. "That whore isn't worth protecting!" The samurai yelled back. "If you were any sort of man, your wife wouldn't be coming to a guy like me for satisfaction." The red-haired man said. This is where the fighting started."

 _"Does this old guy ever shut the hell up!?"_ Kiba thought.

"The samurai came down on him with his sword but the red-haired man dodged and knocked his block off with a kick. That fool went flying. He stood up, holding his broken nose. He said something but I couldn't understand it on account of the broken nose. It started with a U sound. Uzu something. Uzu papi? No... Uzu gaki? No... Uzu"

"Maki? Uzumaki?" Hinata interjected.

"That's it! He said Uzumaki something. Uzumaki scum, or skunk, or something like that. How'd you know that missy?"

"Oh well... I met a ninja with that last name during the chunin exams."

"Maybe he was related to this guy I'm talking about. Anyway, the samurai turned tail and ran like a coward. The Uzumaki guy bought everyone in the bar a round of drinks and went back to partying with the big booby woman. After an hour or so the samurai came back with a bunch of his buddies. At least one hundred of them. They surrounded the bar and demanded that the man who dishonored their comrade come out and face the consequences. He went out there all right. He went out there and BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THE LOT OF THEM!"

Kiba and Shino may have tuned this guy out but Hinata and Sasuke were listening to this story with much interest.

 _"Could he really be talking about one of Naruto's relatives?"_ Hinata and Sasuke thought.

"It was a massacre if I ever saw one. He beat those samurai bloody. I've never seen one man do so much damage by himself. He was flipping around, dodging those samurai and knocking them out with ease. Once he was done he came back into the bar and flung the woman over his shoulder. They left the bar together, no doubt to go have relations. The next night, I went to a different bar and saw that samurai drunk as a skunk, crying about how his wife left him, and how him and all of his buddies got kicked out of the military because of what happened. Anyway, that's the story of how I saw a man beat a hundred samurai. What's another good one? How about the story of how I beat a bear summon in a sumo wrestling match?"

 **Later that night**

"Hey girls? Did I ever tell you the story of how my granddad met my grandmother?" Tadakatsu asked. Tayuya was cuddling next to him on the ground while Karin was stirring a pot of soup, boiling over a fire.

"No." Tayuya answered.

"My granddad was traveling through the land of iron and he walked into this bar. There was this depressed woman sitting in the corner drinking alone, so he went over to talk to her. It turns out she had just found out that her husband was cheating on her. My granddad decided to cheer her up, so he bought her a bunch of drinks. They started to get to know each other and after awhile the woman started getting loose with him. Her husband came in and started threatening her so my granddad beat the shit out of him. He came back later with some friends and granddad beat the shit out of them too."

"How many friends did he bring?" Karin asked.

"When my granddad told the story he would exaggerate that there was at least a hundred, but my mom asked my grandma and she said there was only ten and they were drunk. Anyway, after that my granddad took the woman back to his hotel room. Nine months later, they were married and my mommy was born."

"Wait, your granddad met a woman in a bar, beat up her husband, had sex with her, and decided that was enough to take her home and marry her?" Karin asked.

"Uzumaki's have always had a reputation for moving fast when it comes to romance. Orochimaru once told me that our clan was a slave to love while the Uchiha were a slave to hate." Tadakatsu explained.

"What made you think about this all of a sudden?" Tayuya asked.

"I don't know. I just remembered the time my mommy told me the story and thought you two would find it interesting..." Tadakatsu looked up and saw a messenger hawk flying down to him.

"Is that one of ours?" Tayuya asked.

"Yeah. It's from the base we just left."

The hawk landed on Tadakatsu's shoulder and he took the message from it's leg and him and Tayuya started silently reading it.

"Naruto is alive and the cloud village has been made aware of us. We've no choice but to abandon this base. Our spy has determined that they now have intelligence on all of the hideouts known to the genin team led by Dosu. They have betrayed us and joined the cloud village."

As soon as he was done, Tadakatsu balled up the letter and tossed it into the fire.

"What was that about?" Karin asked.

"Remember those three genin that Orochimaru sent to the chunin exams? The ones we could never find after the invasion failed? Looks like they couldn't keep their big mouths shut."


	48. Chapter 48

ch. 48

The second day of Hinata and her group's journey went the same as the first. Retsu spent the entire time running his mouth about absurd adventures, or amazing things he claimed to have seen in his youth.

"And that's the story of the pirate crew I was once part of. What's another good one? How about the story of the time where I saw over nine thousand"

"Dad?" Tanaka poked his head out of the carriage.

"What is it boy? I was just about to tell them another amazing story?"

"I've been looking at the map and there's a town not far from here. If we hurry up, we can get there before it get's dark."

"Perfect. I don't know if my old bones can take another night sleeping in that cramped carriage."

Elsewhere Tadakatsu and his beloved girlfriends were also still traveling.

Tayuya was sitting up front with Tadakatsu.

"You haven't said much since last night. What are you thinking?" She whispered to him.

"Last night I sent a message back to our spy in the cloud village. He's going to try and kill those three traitors before they can give them any more information. I have to assume that all the ninja villages will be contacted and told about our bases, so I sent a message telling all of our compromised forces to head to the base that we're headed for. That one was unknown to those three idiots, thankfully."

"How do you know which bases are compromised and which aren't?"

"With this." He pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it to Tayuya.

"I found that handy little scroll when I was cleaning out Orochimaru's room. Open it up and say your name."

Tayuya opened the scroll and noticed a strange seal on it. She whispered her name into it and the seal on the scroll started glowing and transformed into a detailed report on her.

"What the hell is this?" Tayuya asked, shocked.

"Just say a name of someone in the sound village, and the seal brings up a detailed report on them. It's got everything from important stuff like what sound village bases they know about, to minor details like what their favorite foods are."

"Oh my god..." Tayuya's face went pale as if she was sick.

"What?"

"He even has a chart of my sex life..."

"Oh yeah, he has those for everybody. Mine is hilarious. At the bottom he wrote a comment about how I was an even bigger sex addict than his old comrade, Jir"

"When do we get to the next town?" Tayuya abruptly interrupted, determined to change the subject. The less she thought about Orochimaru watching her have sex, the better.

"About an hour."

Hinata's group reached the town around sunset. They searched around for hotels for awhile, eventually finding one that had a place for them to leave their horses and carriage. It also allowed small dogs, so Kiba was happy. To save on money, Kiba and Shino decided to share a room. Sasuke chose to sleep alone which made Kiba happy that he wouldn't have to deal with him. Hinata, being the only girl, got her own room in between the boy's. The clients got two rooms across the hall, one for the old man, and one for the couple. Hinata wasn't tired so she went over to Kiba and Shino's room to talk to them for awhile.

"What's up?" Kiba asked when he opened the door.

"Nothing. I just felt like talking." Hinata sat in a chair at the dining table while Shino and Kiba sat on their respective beds.

"The mission is going well." Shino said to start conversation.

Down the hall, Sasuke was silently laying in his own bed, thinking about his life. He was thinking about his family before the massacre. He was thinking about his brother. He was even thinking about Naruto, and how he wanted to beat him. His thoughts drifted to the fight he and Naruto had the day that he went home.

 _"If our attacks had clashed, who would have won?"_

Naruto's attack didn't have an elemental property, but Sasuke could tell that it was still a formidable technique.

 _"The technique was beautiful the way it spiraled, and its green color was so..."_

Sasuke shot up from the bed.

 _"Why did I just think his attack was green? It was blue... Sakura's eyes are green..."_

Sasuke jumped out of his bed and walked out of his room. He had been doing this a lot recently. He would be thinking of something else and his thoughts would randomly drift to Sakura.

 _"I don't understand this. Why do I keep thinking about her?"_

He hadn't seen much of Sakura since she started studying medical ninjutsu. She would show up at his house occasionally and offer to cook for him and every time he would end up sweet talking her into letting him be the one to cook. Sasuke enjoyed cooking, so he didn't really object to the idea of having to do it for two people.

As he walked down the hall way, he passed by Kiba and Shino's room.

"I'm glad Sasuke has kept his mouth shut on this mission." He heard Kiba say from the inside. Sasuke stopped walking and continued to listen in on the conversation.

"Please don't say things like that Kiba. What if Sasuke hears you?" The soft voice of Hinata was barely audible but Sasuke picked it up.

"He's in his room sulking, he can't hear us two rooms down. Why did you bring him anyway?"

"Lady hokage asked me to."

"Why? An easy mission like this could have been handled by just us three."

"Well... I was asked to bring him as a test. The Uchiha clan has a record of insubordination and Lady Tsunade wanted to see if he was like them."

Sasuke's fists clenched and his knuckles cracked.

 _"They... DARE talk about my clan like that?!"_

Sasuke kept walking. He managed to stop himself from exploding, but he was still livid on the outside. He found the exit to the hotel and walked out. He was so angry he didn't notice the red-haired girl coming in and bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going lame ass!" She spat at him.

Sasuke just ignored the girl. He saw a restaurant across the street and decided to head in there to cool off and get something to eat.

"Can you believe that asshole? I wanted to take out my flute and shove it down his throat." Tayuya ranted.

"Tayuya, calm down. There's no sense losing your mind because of one rude person." Karin reasoned.

"..."Tadakatsu stared at the restaurant that the boy had walked into.

 _"That insignia on his back..."_ He thought.

"Tadakatsu? You aren't thinking of starting something with that guy, are you?" Karin asked.

"No... He just seemed familiar is all... Let's go get a room." The trio walked to the counter.

"Do you have any rooms available with three beds? I don't want to be separated from my little sisters." Tadakatsu lied. He learned a while ago that normal hotels don't react too kindly to the possibility of teenagers having three ways in their rooms and they couldn't find any love hotels.

"Let me check sir..." The clerk flipped through a book that had all the currently available rooms listed.

"Will a couch with a pull out bed be acceptable?"

"Sure."

"Then we have a room available with three beds. Will that be cash or check?"

"Cash." Tadakatsu paid the man and gave Tayuya and Karin their keys.

"You girls go ahead and get to our room. I feel like exploring this town a little."

"Will you bring us some food back?" Tayuya asked.

"Sure, want anything in particular?"

"Surprise me." Tayuya answered.

"You know what we like. Go ahead and surprise me too." Karin said.

The girls went up to their rooms and Tadakatsu headed across the street.

There weren't many people in the restaurant, so Sasuke found an empty corner to sit in. An attractive waitress came over to take his order. She had brown hair, but it was a similar style to Sakura's. Her eyes were a similar shade of green too. Thoughts of Sakura started filling his head and it helped push out the angry feelings he was having toward his team.

"What'll it be to drink, handsome?" She asked.

"Just water." Sasuke replied, snapping away from his thoughts on his pink haired team-mate.

The waitress went into the back and came out a few seconds later with a pitcher of water and a cup.

"I'll give you a few minutes to look over our menu. Just give me a holler when you're ready." She said, while she poured the drink. When she walked away to attend to another customer that walked in and sat at the table in front of him, Sasuke started looking through the menu for something he may like.

"What'll it be to drink, handsome?"

"Are you on the menu, beautiful?"

Sasuke looked up at the other customer and noticed his spiky red hair.

 _"Spiky red hair? No, it must be a coincidence..."_

"Oh I am not beautiful." The waitress said with a blush.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're a perfect ten if I ever saw one."

"Oh stop, you're just trying to sweet talk me."

"Is it working?"

"Maybe... About that drink?"

"Got any booze?"

"Yeah, we have some sake in the back. I'm gonna need to see some I.D before I serve it to you."

Tadakatsu pulled out a card and handed it to the woman.

"Aren't you a little short for a twenty-five year old?"

"I'm not short where it matters." Tadakatsu winked and the waitress started blushing even harder.

"I'll be back in a second with your sake, big boy." She went into the back and Tadakatsu eyed her rear while she walked.

 _"Nice ass, but Tayuya's is better."_ He thought.

Sasuke didn't know what to make of this flirty guy in front of him. He was just like the guy in the old man's story. Tadakatsu noticed Sasuke staring at him and gave him a friendly wave.

"What's up? You here on ninja business?" Tadakatsu pointed at Sasuke's head band and Sasuke nodded.

"Here's your sake, big boy." The waitress came over and put the sake on the table, along with a cup for Tadakatsu to drink from.

"Thanks beautiful."

"Holler when you're ready to order, big boy."

The waitress walked away to attend to some customers on the other side of the restaurant. Tadakatsu poured a drink and turned to look at Sasuke, again.

"I've never been to the leaf village. Is it as good as everyone says?" Tadakatsu asked.

"I suppose so. The weather is usually nice and it has a lot of beautiful greenery if you like that sort of thing."

"That's nice to hear. I've spent so much time in the mountains up north that I needed a change of scenery. Hey, what's your name, buddy?"

"... Sasuke."

"Nice to meet you Sasuke. The name's Tadakatsu." Tadakatsu stood up and brought his sake over to Sasuke's table.

"Mind if I sit with you? It'd be nice to have someone to talk with while I eat."

"..."

 **Flashback**

"I was hanging out with the girls today." Sakura said while she and Sasuke shared a meal together.

"I was training with Kakashi." Sasuke replied.

"It was so funny, we went clothes shopping and this older guy was flirting with Ino, so TenTen walked up to her and hugged her from behind. She started rubbing up against her and said "Are you flirting with my girlfriend?" and the guy walked out of the store really mad."

"Hilarious." Sasuke said with no hint of amusement on his face.

"That's not even the funny part. We went to Ino's house later and her dad pulled her aside and asked if she was gay because apparently, he had heard about it from someone. She was so embarrassed."

"... How are the rice cakes?"

"They're good. God, it's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. Maybe if you actually spent some time with people outside of me and Kakashi then you'd actually have friends and stories to tell."

"I don't need friends."

"So you don't need me?"

"I didn't say that..."

"It's getting late. I should be heading home. I've got a medical class in the morning." Sakura walked out.

"Sakura wait... Damn it."

 **Flashback end**

 _"Maybe Sakura is right. Maybe I should be more friendly."_

"... Go ahead. I'd like to talk to you as well."

Back at the hotel, Hinata was leaving Kiba and Shino's room to check on the clients. She noticed a do not disturb sign on the door of the couple. She knew what that meant, so she softly knocked on the old man's door instead. He answered the door while holding the baby.

"I just wanted to check up on you. You're taking care of the baby tonight?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to give the boy and his wife some intimate time with each other. I know first hand how tiring it can be to raise a child so I like to help out when I can."

"That's very generous of you."

"Speaking of generous, can you do me a favor and see if you can rock little Ibuki to sleep? I can never seem to put her down for some reason."

"I would be happy to help. I used to do that sort of thing for my little sister." Hinata took the baby from Retsu and walked over to the crib he had set up in his room.

Hinata started rocking the baby back and forth. She laughed when the baby started touching her face. The babies' eyes started to droop so Hinata slowly lowered her into the crib. By the time Hinata pulled the blanket over her, she was fast asleep.

"Wow, you're pretty good with kids."

"My little sister is a hand full so I have a lot of experience. When she was born and the doctor tried to take her away from mother to clean her up, she broke one of his fingers."

"A newborn did that? I heard that you ninja clans were tough but that's ridiculous."

"Hanabi was a very particular baby. She didn't like anyone holding her except for me and our parents."

"I'm glad Ibuki isn't like that. Anyway, I appreciate your help. I'll let you get back to your room to rest up for tomorrow."

"If you need any more help with Ibuki, please feel free to ask."

Hinata left the room and headed back to hers. On the way there she noticed a pair of red-headed girls enter a room at the end of the hall.

"This is the place Karin." She overheard one of them say before they walked in.

 _"Karin?"_ Hinata thought, recognizing the name.

Back with Sasuke and Tadakatsu, the two were having a grand old time at the restaurant, swapping stories back and forth while they ate their food.

"He really thought that you would buy such a weak excuse?" Tadakatsu asked.

"That's nothing. He came to training late one day because he said something about a black cat crossing his path."

"Maybe he meant a different kind of cat, hahaha."

"I wouldn't put it past the old pervert. He actually walks around in public reading Icha Icha books."

"Oh I love those books! Jiraiya is one of my heroes."

"I've actually seen Jiraiya and my sensei hanging out around the leaf village. Birds of a feather, right?"

"That's awesome man. I would love to meet Jiraiya at least once in my life."

"So I forgot to ask, what are you doing in this part of the world. You mentioned something earlier about being in the mountains for awhile. Do you travel a lot?"

"Yeah. I guess you would consider me a mercenary. I go around fighting for whoever pays the best. I just got done with a doozy of a job. I came down here with my girlfriends to avoid some of the heat I got up there."

"Girlfriends as in plural?"

"Oh yeah. I've got two beautiful girls that love me and they don't care that they have to share."

"Wow. That sounds like something you would read in a fictional story, written by some sexually repressed pervert."

"I know, right!"

"What was up with the flirting you did with the waitress if you already have two girlfriends?"

"Waitresses tend to pay less attention to my fake I.D when I have them charmed. I would never actually cheat on either of my girlfriends. I love the both of them with all of my heart." Tadakatsu made sure to whisper that part so that the waitress wouldn't hear him.

"You have someone like that?" Tadakatsu asked.

An image of Sakura flashed through Sasuke's mind. He couldn't deny that he had seen her in a different light ever since the chunin exams. When she snapped at him during his first fight with Naruto, that was the first time someone actually had the nerve to yell at him. His mother was much too kind for that and his father ignored him in favor of Itachi. Even in the academy he was always a perfect student so the teachers never had to discipline him.

"There is one girl that I know. Most girls tend to fawn over me because of my heritage, and this one did too, but one day she finally dropped the fan girl act and started being more assertive. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since."

"Sounds like you're attracted to strength. Most girls you know give the submissive routine, thinking that's what all guys want, but you like the opposite. You don't want someone who'll just roll over for you. You want someone who'll stand by your side as an equal, or even someone who'll put you in your place when you're wrong. Maybe you should tell this girl how you feel about her. "

"... I'll think about it."

"Was that what you were pissed about when you came in here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I noticed it when you walked out of the hotel. You were fuming mad about something."

"Oh that. I was having such a good time I forgot all about it. I overheard my team for this mission talking about me and my family behind my back."

"What were they saying?"

"Apparently, I was brought on this mission as a test of my team work. The new hokage wanted to see if I played nice with others."

"Did you do something to make your hokage question you?"

"No, that's what pisses me off the most. I mean, I may have been a bit of a jerk to my team when I first made genin, but I've been doing my best to work on all of my faults since I failed the chunin exams, including my team work."

"Hey man, sometimes you just have to say fuck the haters, and do your own thing. If they don't appreciate you then to hell with them, right?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I don't need their approval! I don't need anyone!"

"Woah there slick, I didn't mean it like that. Some people may say that they prefer to be alone but sooner or later we all get that itch that only a member of the opposite gender can scratch, you catch my drift?"

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. How do you think I should go about telling her how I feel?"

"You know she likes you back so just tell her that you feel the same way."

"I don't know if I could do that. It's hard for me to put my feelings into words."

"Then put your feelings into your actions."

"What do you mean?"

"The next time you see her, go for broke and just kiss her. That's how I got my first girlfriend."

 **Flashback**

Tadakatsu walked through the halls of one of Orochimaru's many bases when he crossed paths with Tayuya.

"Hi." Tadakatsu waved at her.

"What do you want, fag boy?" She sneered at him.

"I was just saying hi. The least you could do is say it back."

"Hi, now get the fuck out of my way." Tayuya pushed him aside and walked away.

"You know, I could think of something more fun for you to do with that dirty mouth of yours." Tadakatsu taunted. Tayuya turned around and stared down Tadakatsu with fire in her eyes.

"The fuck did you just say, fag boy?"

"I said, I can think of something more fun that you could do with that dirty mouth."

Tayuya got up in Tadakatsu's face.

"Say one more god damn thing. I fucking dare y" Tadakatsu smashed his lips against Tayuya's, cutting her sentence short.

"Isn't that more fun than cussing at whatever poor sap walks by you?" Tadakatsu asked when he broke away for air.

"..."

"Cat got your to" Tayuya slammed Tadakatsu against the wall and started devouring his lips with her own.

"Got any condoms?" She asked.

"I know who I can steal some from."

 **Flashback end**

"... Definitely like a story written by a sexually repressed pervert." Sasuke said aloud after Tadakatsu finished reminiscing.

Back at the hotel, Hinata was sitting in her bed having an internal battle.

 _"It said in Naruto's last letter that his cousin was a glasses wearing red-head named Karin. Could his cousin have been the girl I just saw? I could use the byakugan to check on her. Would that be considered a misuse of my eyes? I have no right to intrude on someone elses privacy, but what if it is her? If I can tell her about Naruto, maybe she'll go to him."_

Hinata decided that if it meant reuniting her crush with his cousin, then it was acceptable to use her eyes to peer into the girl's room. She activated her byakugan and did her best to focus on the room she wanted to see. She still got a few snippets of the rooms around her. The baby was still sleeping, while Retsu was watching some game show, with the television muted as not to disturb the sleeping infant. Kiba and Shino were playing cards. Both of them were cheating and hiding cards up the sleeves of their coats. Hinata made a mental note to check them next time she joined them for cards. She got a brief glimpse into the couple's room and the little bit she saw was enough to make her blush bright red.

 _"Anko wasn't kidding when she told me that some people really like the dripping candle wax thing. I hope they don't make a mess for house keeping."_

She noticed that Sasuke wasn't in his room and she made another mental note to scold him too. Proper procedure required Sasuke to notify the commanding officer in the event he wanted to leave the hotel.

Hinata focused in on the two red-haired girls and started reading their lips.

"What a pain in the ass, those three turned out to be. I hope they get what they deserve." Tayuya said.

"Remember the girl from that group? Didn't she have a huge crush on Tadakatsu?"

"Yeah, she did. Dumb bitch. I had to put her in her place a few times. I would have just killed her but Kimimaro ordered me not too. He said that killing our allies was counter productive. I'm glad him and the rest of those freaks I got grouped with are dead. Fucking assholes."

"When do you think Tadakatsu will be back?"

"Hell if I know. He can have as much private time as he wants, as long as he fucks us good when he gets back."

 _"Shameless"_ Hinata thought.

"Keep your voice down! We're supposed to be masquerading as a family so we don't arouse suspicion. Remember what happened last time we got caught having a three-way in a normal hotel?" Karin scolded.

"I remember Tadakatsu beating the shit out of the clerk who called us sluts. I actually enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"I'm not like you Tayuya. I don't enjoy watching innocent people get hurt... Even if the asshole did deserve it for calling us sluts." Karin stood up and started grabbing clothes from her bag.

"I'm taking a bath. Care to join me?"

"Tadakatsu likes to fuck me when I'm filthy, so no."

 _"SHAMELESS!"_ Hinata thought once again.

It dawned on Hinata that this was her chance to talk to the girl. She gathered up her own clothes and went to Kiba and Shino's room to tell them where she would be.

"I'm going down to take a bath." Hinata told them.

"To the public bath? You never use those."

"I feel like a change. Listen, Sasuke isn't in his room. If he shows up, then please tell him to inform me where he is going next time."

"You got it."

"Thank you. Shino, you have a couple of bugs watching over the clients right?"

"Of course."

"Good. I don't think we have anything to worry about, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Tadakatsu were leaving the restaurant together. Tadakatsu was holding a take out bag filled with food for his girlfriends.

"Thanks for the company." Sasuke said.

"No problem man, it was a pleasure. Not as much of a pleasure as I'm getting later tonight, but still a pleasure."

Sasuke cracked a small smile.

"I appreciate the advice you gave me about the girl situation. I'll do something about that when I see her again."

"Well, if you're really appreciative you could do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I want you to hit me as hard as you can."


	49. Chapter 49

ch. 49

"Are you sure about this?" Sasuke asked Tadakatsu.

The pair had left the town and walked about a mile into the forest so no civilians would get hurt.

"You bet. I've always wanted to test my mettle against an Uchiha. Don't hold back." Tadakatsu slipped off his jacket and got into a fighting stance.

"Taijutsu only, right? Just a friendly spar?" Sasuke asked as he entered into his stance.

"Of course. Now let's do this."

Sasuke took the initiative and ran at Tadakatsu. Sasuke's raw speed surprised Tadakatsu, and he took a mean kick to the chin.

 _"Looks like my strength training has started to pay off. I bet even Naruto won't be able to"_

Sasuke's thought was broken when Tadakatsu recovered from Sasuke's kick fast enough to grab his leg and swing him away with a scary amount of power. Sasuke recovered by flipping to his feet.

"Impressive kick." Tadakatsu complimented. He rushed at Sasuke and started bombarding him with punches.

 _"It's like fighting Naruto, all over again."_ Sasuke thought while dodging Tadakatsu's powerful strikes.

Back at the hotel, Hinata had found Karin soaking in the public bath. There was no one else in the room, which made Hinata a little less nervous. She approached Karin, who looked up at her, curiously.

 _"What in the world has this girl gone through?"_ Hinata thought when she saw the bite marks on Karin's neck and shoulder area.

"May I join you?" Hinata asked, her face a light pink.

"Go ahead." Karin answered, in a friendly tone.

Hinata very swiftly took off her towel and entered the water.

"What's your name?" Karin asked.

"Hinata Hyuga, and you are?"

"Karin. Is this your first time in a public bath?"

"Yes. I've always been really shy, but recently I started making an effort to change that. Um... Would your last name happen to be Uzumaki by any chance?"

Karin's demeanor changed instantly. Gone, was the friendly girl who welcomed Hinata. In her place was a girl with hard eyes who stared down Hinata with an intimidating gaze.

"What does it matter to you? Do you have a problem with my clan?"

"No, you misunderstand me. I don't wish to start any trouble."

"Then tell me what you want. I thought it might not have been a coincidence when I saw you in that hallway earlier. You followed me down here, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did follow you, but I promise I have no nefarious intentions. I just wanted to ask you a question."

"Then ask."

"Do you have a cousin named, Naruto?"

Karin's mouth hung open in shock. She grabbed Hinata by the shoulders and started shaking her.

"What do you know about my cousin? Do you know where he is?"

"Please calm down."

Karin stopped shaking Hinata and backed away.

"I'm sorry. Please just tell me what you know."

"Naruto is currently a ninja in the employ of the cloud village."

Karin looked shocked at this news.

"I had heard that he was in lightning country, but I didn't know he was a ninja."

"He is. He was at the last chunin exams."

"I don't understand. He's a leaf village native. Why would he be in the cloud village?"

"I don't know the whole story myself, but from what I understand, he was adopted by a woman there."

"How exactly do you know all of this? You said that he was a cloud ninja now and you're a Hyuga, which is a leaf clan."

"Well... Me and him started a... Friendship during the chunin exams."

"I have a feeling that friendship is an understatement."

Hinata started to blush and push her fingers together.

"He was... My first."

"Oh... He used protection I hope."

Hinata blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"I didn't mean like that. We just kissed. We weren't ready for that sort of thing. Can we please change the subject? Naruto told me about you in a letter and I promised him that I would tell you that he was looking for you, if we ever crossed paths."

"I've been looking for him too. I had my boyfriend searching for him but he had to postpone the search for work reasons."

"Well, now that you know, you can go see him."

"I promise that I'll go see him as soon as I can. Thank you for telling me all of this." Karin hugged Hinata.

"Y-You're welcome." Hinata was blushing incredibly red at the gesture. They were still naked in a bath, after all.

"Now, that we've got that out of the way, would you mind telling me more about yourself?" Karin asked when she broke the hug.

"Me? Why?"

"I just want to know about the girl who has my cousin's heart. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. Where to begin?"

Back with Sasuke and Tadakatsu, The young warriors were still going strong in their spar. Sasuke ducked a punch from Tadakatsu and kicked him into the air.

"Dancing leaf shadow" He said when he appeared behind him. Sasuke attempted to kick Tadakatsu while in mid air but Tadakatsu was able to block it. Sasuke then spun around and back handed Tadakatsu from the other side. He then finished by spinning his body again so that he could deliver a devastating axe kick to Tadakatsu's stomach.

"LION'S BARRAGE!" Sasuke yelled. Luckily for Tadakatsu, he poofed out of existence and a log was left in his place.

"You're something else man. You lived up to the reputation of your clan." Tadakatsu complimented when he walked back into sight.

"You're pretty strong too. It's been awhile since I had to fight so hard. Sorry about the rough finisher. I got a little excited."

"It's cool. I've gotten so used to fighting with weapons that I've let my hand to hand skills get rusty. I deserved that."

"What kind of weapons do you specialize in?"

"Spears and lances mostly. They're good up close, they make a good projectile when thrown, and I know a jutsu that creates them out of earth. What about you? Do you have a preferred weapon?"

"..."

 **Flashback**

"Happy birthday little brother!" Itachi happily proclaimed. He handed Sasuke a huge box and Sasuke gleefully tore it open to see his gift.

"Woah! Is this really for me?"

"I noticed you staring at it when we went into town last week."

"Thank's big brother! I can't wait to take it outside and practice." Sasuke pulled a bow out of the box and tried to pull the string back.

"If Sasuke hurts himself with that thing, you're going to be in big trouble, Itachi." Sasuke's mother came into the room and gave Itachi a stern look.

"Don't worry mom. I promise to teach Sasuke how to use it."

"Yeah! I'm gonna be the best archer the leaf village has ever seen!"

 **Flashback end**

"No... I keep some kunai and shuriken on me, but I don't really have a preferred weapon."

"You should probably think about picking one up. A good weapon can save your life in a tough situation."

"I'll think about it."

"Here, take this."

Tadakatsu pulled out a pill bottle and handed one of the pills inside to Sasuke.

"What is this?"

"Some medicine, just take it."

Sasuke was weary of the strange medicine.

"If I wanted to poison you, I would have tried it back at the restaurant." Tadakatsu took one of the pills, convincing Sasuke that it was safe, so he ate the pill and his body surged with energy and he felt invigorated like he never felt before.

"What in the world is this? I feel incredible!" Sasuke boasted.

"One of my girlfriends is a real science wiz. She made that medicine for me. Speaking of my girlfriends, I should get back to them before it gets too late. If they get too tired they won't want to have fun tonight."

Sasuke and Tadakatsu headed back to their hotel. They made small talk all the way until they reached their floor. Tadakatsu wished Sasuke a farewell for the night and entered his room. Sasuke kept heading down the hall to his room. He went in and laid down on his bed, his thought's drifting toward his pink haired team mate once again.

"Sakura..." He quietly let slip before closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

A few minutes later, Hinata and Karin made their way up to their rooms.

"I'm so glad I met you. To know that my cousin is safe and that he's met such a sweet girl is a huge weight off of my shoulders." Karin said as she reached her door.

"I'm just happy to help. In case we don't see each other tomorrow, I wish you a safe journey."

"Safe travels to you too."

Karin opened the door to her room and the hallway was filled with the sounds of a creaking bed. Karin ran in as fast as she could and closed the door so that the sound seal placed on it could do it's job.

"I guess the Tadakatsu boy they were talking about came back." Hinata thought. She probably should have been more curious about the arrangement the three seemed to have, but she was just happy that Naruto and his cousin were going to reunite soon. She entered her room and prepared to sleep for the night.

"Stop having sex for a few seconds so I can tell you two something amazing." Karin said when she entered the room.

"We're not fucking yet. Tadakatsu wanted a lap dance." Tayuya said while she grinded into Tadakatsu's lap with enough force to make the bed shake. Tadakatsu laid there with a big smile on his face, both of them in nothing but their underwear.

"What'd you need to tell us?" He asked.

"You won't believe who I just ran into at the bath. There was a girl there who said that she knows Naruto!"

Tadakatsu went from smiling like a fool, to shocked. Tayuya even stopped her grinding.

"You were right when you said he might be in the lightning country. She said that he was a cloud ninja now."

Tadakatsu looked at Tayuya for a second and nodded. She got off of his lap and went over to her bag.

"Karin, are you sure that this girl was trustworthy?" Tadakatsu asked.

"I believe so. She said that they were in a long distance relationship. She didn't seem to be lying."

"... That's great! We'll go see him at the cloud village as soon as we can, I promise."

Tadakatsu grabbed Karin in a hug and she hugged him back. He kissed her forehead.

"You know I love you, right Karin?" He asked as he stroked her back lovingly.

"Of course baby." She happily replied.

The room was filled with an exotic melody as Tayuya started playing her flute. Within seconds, Karin passed out in Tadakatsu's arms.

"Then please forgive me." He said as he laid her down on the bed.

"What do you want to do?" Tayuya asked.

"We're going to have to erase her memory of tonight."

"The last time we tried that we failed."

"Last time, we tried to erase Naruto himself from her memory. We only failed because her love for him was way too strong, and she subconsciously overpowered the jutsu. This time should be different, if we approach it the right way. Her meeting one of Naruto's friends almost sounds too good to be true. We may be able to convince her mind that it was all a dream."

"I... may be able to pull that off. Fresh memories are easier to manipulate than old ones, because the mind hasn't had time to make a strong connection to them. If I just manipulate her memories of the last hour or two then we might be able to get away with it."

"Good. I already let the world take my mother away. I refuse to let another woman I love be stolen from me. Least of all by that worthless punk, Naruto."

The next morning Hinata and her group, were packed and ready to leave bright and early. Everyone was down in the lobby waiting for Hinata, who decided to give one last goodbye to Karin. She knocked on her door but there was no response.

 _"Should I use my byakugan to check on her? What if they're doing something shameless? I don't have time to sit here and think about this too long."_

Hinata decided to use her byakugan and was shocked when she saw no one in the room.

 _"They left earlier than we did? Wait, what's that?"_

She noticed an envelope on the bed.

"To Naruto's girlfriend." Was written on the envelope. Hinata opened the door and tore the envelope open to read the message.

"Tell Naruto, that I will never let Karin be taken away from me. If he keeps trying then it's open season on the people he loves. That includes you miss Hyuga. I don't care how powerful your clan is. I will kill you, if you cross me."

Hinata tore the letter into tiny bits and threw them into the trash. She began her walk downstairs.

 _"I will kill you, if you cross me."_ She repeated in her head.

 _"You can try."_ She angrily thought.

She met up with everyone and they began the last day of their mission.

A few miles away, Tadakatsu was driving their carriage through the woods. Tayuya had Karin's head in her lap in the back. Karin's eyes fluttered open and she groggily sat up.

"What... What happened last night? I feel like my head was just cracked open."

"There was something wrong with your food last night. It made you sick as a dog. You spent half the night vomiting in the toilet."

"Ugh... I had the strangest dream... I met the Hyuga clan heiress and she said that she was in a long distance relationship with my cousin."

"That's a dumb dream. Do you really think that kid could snag a clan heiress? Spoiled bitches like that marry rich assholes, not commoners like him."

"I guess you're right. Still, it felt pretty real for a dream."

"I once had a dream that I died and got sent to hell, where I fucked the lord of the dead so good that he brought me back to life. That dream felt real too, but of course it never happened."

"Tayuya, that wasn't a dream. That was a role play you and Tadakatsu had."

"The role play was based on the dream, dumb ass."

Outside the carriage, Tadakatsu was deep in thought.

 _"I hope our spy has taken care of those traitors by now."_

Back in the cloud village, The ex-sound genin were getting settled into their new apartment. It was a nice two bed room, one bath place. A little small for three people, but they knew they could manage. The couch had a pull out bed which Dosu claimed. The only television was in the living room, so that was the choice spot. The three sat on the couch, watching said television, when a knock at the door alerted them.

"It's me." Naruto said from the other side.

Zaku got up and opened the door for him.

"I brought a housewarming gift." Naruto happily held up a banzai tree. He handed it to Zaku and noticed he had a black eye.

"What's up with the black eye?"

"The pervert tried to get me to share my bed with him!" Kin angrily said from her spot on the couch.

"I didn't know the couch was a bed, and I thought that as leader, Dosu deserved a bed to himself." Zaku argued.

"Bullshit." Kin said.

"Whatever, just don't kill each other. I need to go see Haku. I'll be back later to check on you guys."

Naruto left and headed down the stairs. On his way down he passed by a mail man with a package. The mail man walked up the stairs until he reached the apartment of Dosu's team.

"I've got some important paper work for the new residents of this apartment." He said as he knocked.

Suddenly the door was blown off the hinges and slammed straight into the mail man.

"Nice try." Zaku taunted. His arm cannon's primed and ready for another attack.

The banzai tree that Naruto had brought transformed into a Naruto clone.

"He's out cold. Good idea to slip a clone of me into your room so that I could warn you if anyone with malicious intent showed up." Naruto complimented to Dosu.

"I knew that Tadakatsu would want us dead when he heard about us turning coat. I figured his spy would be a little more competent, though"

A squad of ANBU appeared outside of the apartment and arrested the spy.

"If Tadakatsu wants to silence us, he's going to need to try harder than this." Dosu said.

A few hours later, Naruto and Haku were in the hospital playing a friendly game of cards.

"I should be cleared to get out in the morning." Haku said.

"That's good. I can show you around town, and introduce you to some people... OH MY GOD!"

Naruto stood up and started freaking out.

"What is it?" Haku asked, strangely calm.

"DUDE, WE FORGOT YOUR PET RABBIT!"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about her. We have a tendency to find each other after we get separated."

"How can you be so calm? What if she gets eaten?"

"She'll be fine. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned up soon."

A knock at the door surprised the two.

"I didn't sense anything..." Naruto said. He made his way to the door and opened it. He wasn't ready for the sight in front of him.

"You Haku?" The ninja rabbit asked. He was a small, yet fat creature, that wore a black mask with holes for his ears to come out of. It had a small knife in a sheath attached to it's right side and a scroll attached to it's left.

"Uh... He is." Naruto pointed to his friend in the bed. The rabbit jumped over to Haku's bed in a single bound and landed in his lap.

"So you're the one that's been taking care of my little sister?"


	50. Chapter 50

ch. 50

Hinata spent most of their last day on the mission in silence. Kiba and Shino could tell that something was on her mind and they each made a mental note to talk to her about it, later.

"We're here." Hinata said when the gates of the client's home town came into view.

When they reached the gates the family came out of the cart to say their goodbyes to the team.

"Thank you for protecting us." Tanaka said while graciously shaking Hinata's hand.

"Our baby, thanks you too." Jade brought Ibuki close to Hinata and the baby held out her tiny arms, as if beckoning for Hinata to hold her one more time.

"May I?" Hinata asked.

"Go ahead." Hinata took the baby from it's mother and held her close. The baby started touching Hinata's face again and Hinata returned the gesture by tickling the bottom of her chin.

"I hope my babies are as beautiful as this one, when I start having kids." Hinata lightly kissed the baby on the forehead and handed her back to her mother.

"I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry for that. You're still a baby yourself."

"I know. My best wishes go with you all. Goodbye." Hinata waved goodbye to the family as they headed back to their house.

"I've never seen you like this, Hinata. I never knew you were such a sucker for kids." Kiba commented while they turned around and made their way home.

"I've loved babies ever since my sister was born. I can't wait until I'm an adult and I can have my own."

"Now that we're on our own, we can go full speed. We should be able to make the return trip in half of the time." Sasuke interrupted.

"Sasuke is right. Let's head home as fast as we can."

 _"I need to send Naruto a message."_ Hinata added in her mind.

Speaking of home, One of Hinata's fellow medics in training was giving Tsunade a report of her latest mission.

"I'm not happy, Ino. You went beyond the mission parameters."

"Not like he didn't deserve it."

"That's not the point!" Tsunade slammed her hand against the desk, scaring Ino half to death.

"Sorry... I promise that it won't happen again."

"It better not, or I'll revoke your chunin status."

"Yes, my lady."

"Now get out of here."

Ino walked out of Tsunade's office with her head held low. She passed by Shizune on her way down the stairs.

"Are you all right Ino?" The older woman asked.

"I did something bad on my last mission. Tsunade just yelled at me for it."

"What happened exactly?"

"Well... I was supposed to find evidence of a man cheating on his fiancé."

"Did you find any?"

"Within five minutes of watching him. Then again not two hours later... And again... AND AGAIN!"

Shizune started backing away from the now raging girl.

"AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN!"

"Wh-What did you do?"

"I transformed into an adult and seduced him when he went into a bar, then when we got to his hotel room, I broke his arm in five places."

"..."

"I would have done worse but Choji stopped me."

"Ino... I don't know what to say."

"I do. THAT A GIRL!" Anko cheered from the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh god." Shizune said.

"Aren't you Hinata's friend?" Ino asked.

"Yep! But that's not important now. Shizune, we just received an urgent message for the hokage. I need to see her right away."

"Follow me then."

Shizune lead Anko to the hokage's office, leaving a confused Ino behind.

 _"She doesn't seem that bad. Why does Hinata say that woman is crazy?"_ Ino thought.

"You got a nice ass, Shizune. Ever been with a woman?" She heard Anko say from up the stairs.

 _"That explains it. TenTen would probably love her.."_

Shizune opened the door to Tsunade's office with a crimson face. Tsunade would have asked her what was wrong had Anko not walked in right behind her and casually slapped her rear.

"Thanks for escorting me sweet cheeks."

"I-I've got to go." Shizune ran out of the room.

"Do I need to make you watch the sexual harassment video again?" Tsunade asked.

"No thanks boob lady. I've got an important message for you. It just came from the raikage, marked for your eyes only."

 _"God damn that boy for his ridiculous nickname."_ Tsunade angrily thought. She took the message from Anko and read it swiftly. She activated the sound seals around the office before addressing Anko again.

"Anko?"

"Yeah?"

"How would you like an opportunity to deal with the remainder of Orochimaru's forces?"

Anko gained a devilish smile. "It would be my pleasure."

 _"Almost as much of a pleasure as burying my face in those tits."_ The sex crazed woman added in her mind.

"The raikage just sent me a map of several of Orochimaru's hidden bases and labs. Apparently the sound village has found a new leader and he's crossed the cloud village."

"What did the idiot do? Fuck the raikage's girlfriend or something?"

"He kidnapped and almost killed Naruto."

"Oh... is he?"

"He escaped due to the efforts of a third-party."

"Good."

 _"Your boyfriend is a lucky son of a bitch, Hinata."_ She thought.

"I'm tasking you with the eradication of the remaining sound forces within the borders of the land of fire. He says that their information is incomplete and it's possible that the sound village has been notified of the compromised bases, but I'm sure that won't stop you from completing your mission."

"I'll find them all, I guarantee it."

"Good. Now about that sexual harassment video."

"Oh come on! I've already been forced to watch that video five times."

"You'll watch it another five hundred times if you can't keep your desires in check."

 _"Big booby bitch."_ Anko mentally cursed.

Back with Hinata's team, they decided to take a break along a stream to refill their water supply.

"We're making good time. We should be able to get home by supper time tomorrow." Hinata said.

"I hope my girlfriend is ready for me when we get back." Kiba arrogantly spouted.

"Please don't be shameless, Kiba." Hinata scolded.

"Oops. Sorry, I forgot that you're a prude."

"I'm not a prude, I just think that shameless talk is inappropriate while we're on a mission."

"Compared to miss Anko, Kiba isn't all that shameless." Shino interrupted, remembering the interesting conversation he overheard between Hinata and Anko during the chunin exams.

"You have no idea... I've seen her apartment. It's the most shameless place I've ever seen.

While the three friends talked, Sasuke was sitting on a nearby rock. His thoughts kept drifting to Sakura.

 _"I wonder if she's even back from her mission yet."_ He thought.

He started considering how he would confess to her. He didn't fear her rejection but he feared coming across the wrong way. If he just grabbed her and started smooching, like Tadakatsu suggested, he may come across as only caring about the physical aspect of a relationship. He didn't want to know how Sakura might react if that happened.

"Sasuke?" Hinata said, trying to get Sasuke's attention.

"Are we leaving?" He asked.

"In a minute. Kiba wants to give Akamaru a quick soak in the stream. I wanted to talk to you about last night at the hotel. I noticed that you left your room without notifying me. Where did you go?"

"Across the street to a restaurant."

"You really should have told me you intended to leave the hotel. I'm the commanding officer on this mission. I should know where my ninja are at all times."

"Is that my fault or yours? You should have done a better job keeping track of me."

"Excuse me? I'm not your mother, I shouldn't have to keep my eye on you, like a child."

"Tsunade doesn't seem to think that way."

"What did you just say?"

"I know that this mission is a test of my teamwork. I heard you talking with those two when you were in their room."

"Listen Sasuke, You need to understand that"

"That my village doesn't trust me because of the past actions of my clan? I've come to terms with that." Sasuke stood up and started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the village. I don't need you three losers around."

"Until we pass the main gates of the village we're still considered to be on a mission. If you break off from the group then I'll be forced to tell Lady hokage that you abandoned your team in the line of duty."

"Go ahead. I don't care what you do."

"... Wait just one minute Sasuke."

Sasuke turned around and stared Hinata down.

Kiba and Shino had stopped any conversation that they had and watched the situation with interest.

"I've never liked you Sasuke. I hated the way you treated Ino and Sakura, and I think your cocky attitude is undeserved."

"If we're being honest, I never liked you eith"

"Shut your mouth and let me finish. Even though I dislike you so strongly, Sakura still likes you. Sakura is one of my best friends. For her sake, I won't let you keep going down the path of arrogance and disrespect that so many members of your clan chose to walk." Hinata got into her gentle fist stance.

"Come at me. I'll show you how undeserved your arrogance is."

"You've never beaten me in a fight, Hinata. Why should I bother defeating you again?"

"If I'm truly so weak then you should have no problem brushing me aside. I even promise not to let the hokage know about this if you win. In exchange, when I win you must be the one to admit your wrong doings to the hokage and graciously accept her punishment."

Sasuke got into his own fighting stance.

"I'll go easy on you since you're Sakura's friend."

"You'll regret it if you do. Shino, Kiba, don't interfere."

"Sharingan!" Sasuke activated his eyes and stared into Hinata's. She dropped to her knees.

"She'll be out for awhile." Sasuke turned and was about to leave when a kunai grazed his cheek. He spun around and Hinata was standing in her stance once again.

"Your eyes may grant you easy access to genjutsu but compared to my sensei, you are weak. I can break any illusion you throw my way."

"Then I guess I'll just have to do this the old fashioned way." Sasuke and Hinata charged at each other and clashed in a taijutsu battle. Sasuke remembered from their childhood spars that attempting to block the gentle fist was a mistake. She would just seal off the chakra to his arms and then he wouldn't be able to use jutsu. Sasuke was put on the defensive, forced to dodge all of her attacks.

 _"Damn it, she really has improved. I've never seen her fight with such aggression."_ Sasuke thought as he dodged her attacks, waiting for any kind of opening.

 _"I will kill you, if you cross me."_ Hinata kept repeating this line from Tadakatsu's note over and over again in her mind and each time she got angrier and angrier.

"I'M NOT SOME WEAK LITTLE GIRL ANYMORE!" Her anger exploded and she caught Sasuke with a devastating strike to his torso. The force of the strike drove Sasuke a few feet back. He doubled over and started coughing.

"Do you yield?" Hinata questioned.

"You may be skilled enough to neutralize my genjutsu and you may have the edge in taijutsu, but I still have an ace up my sleeve." Sasuke proclaimed as he forced himself back to his feet.

Sasuke started flashing through hand signs at a lightning fast speed.

"Fire style: Grand fireball jutsu!" He attacked her with his signature technique but Hinata stood her ground.

"Water style: Grand torrent jutsu!" She channeled some water from the stream to block the fireball, creating a blinding wall of steam.

 _"Damn it. I have to lure her away from the water."_ Sasuke turned to jump into a nearby tree but he was forced to jump back toward the stream by another Hinata coming at him with a palm strike. She landed between Sasuke and the treeline.

Hinata formed a hand sign and the steam condensed back into water and soaked the ground between them.

"Clever girl... You made a water clone when I turned around after the genjutsu."

"Yes. I sent her into the woods because I knew that you would be able to tell the difference with your sharingan. I also predicted that you would want to separate me from the water, so I had her wait for that moment."

"I guess I've been underestimating you a bit. You aren't the same weakling that couldn't win a spar to save her life."

"Unlike you, I've grown as a person. You're still the arrogant boy who lost in the chunin exams. You refuse to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes."

"Keep your analysis to yourself. I don't need your advice. I don't need anything."

"Not even Sakura?"

This got to Sasuke.

"I didn't say that..."

"For someone who claims to not care about anyone, you certainly care about her. What do you think she would say if she caught you fighting one of her best friends?"

"... She'd probably yell my name before punching me in the face."

"If you stop this and admit your mistakes to the hokage, I won't tell her about our fight."

"..." Sasuke sat down.

"That's a dirty trick, using Sakura like that."

"As long as it worked..." Hinata dropped out of her stance, relieved that things didn't escalate too far.

 _"If I hadn't talked him down, he may have used that lightning jutsu I saw him try on Naruto. I don't know if even the rotation could stop an attack that strong."_ She thought.

The next day, Hinata and the rest of the team arrived home. As promised, Sasuke admitted his mistakes to Tsunade personally.

"I'm very sorry for my actions. I promise that it will never happen again. I will make sure to always report to my commanding officer on missions, and I will also stick to the group at all times unless otherwise ordered."

"I'm glad to see you taking responsibility for your mistakes. As for your punishment, I'll let Kakashi deal with that."

 _"Crap..."_ Sasuke thought. The last time Sasuke screwed up on a mission, Kakashi dumped him on the opposite side of town from his home, with no clothes. He called it stealth training and to Kakashi's credit, Sasuke wasn't seen by anybody, so the training was a success. The right incentive can be a powerful thing.

"You genin can leave now. I have some other pressing matters to discuss with Hinata." All three genin left after respectfully bowing to their hokage.

"I'm impressed, Hinata. You managed to show Sasuke the error of his ways."

"I don't deserve all of the credit. I had a little help from Sakura."

"Sakura?"

"All I had to do was mention her."

"I see. Well, you still did a good job identifying Sasuke's weakness for her."

"It wasn't that hard. He's been looking at her differently ever since the chunin exams."

"Ok... You still showed great leadership."

"Two members of my team were my personal friends. They would do anything I ask, regardless if I was in a position of power."

"Would you shut up for a second and let me compliment you?! You did good! Now get out of here." Hinata bowed to her hokage and turned to leave.

"Wait. I almost forgot to tell you, Anko wants to see you about something."

"Uh... Is it important?"

"She said it was."

"..."

"If you're worried about finding her when she's having sex, don't be. I've got her locked down in the basement forcing her to watch a sexual harassment video."

"... I believe you."

True to the hokage's word, Anko was locked in the basement with a sexual harassment video being played on loop. Anko was asleep at a desk in the middle of the basement, facing the crappy old television that they hooked up for her.

Hinata quietly snuck up to Anko and tapped her shoulder to wake her.

"THE WORKPLACE IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENT FOR ROMANCE!" She screamed as she exploded out of the chair.

"The workplace is not an appropriate environment for romance." The video echoed. It would appear that Tsunade had Anko down here for so long that she memorized the whole thing.

"Miss Anko?"

"HINATA!" Anko grabbed Hinata in a hug and buried her face in her chest.

"PLEASE TELL ME THAT YOU CAME TO SET ME FREE!"

"I uh... Lady Tsunade said that you wanted to tell me something.

Anko let go of Hinata.

"Oh yeah. I just got assigned to a long-term mission. I'm going to be leaving the village for long stretches of time and I wanted to ask if it was okay for you to house sit for me while I'm gone?"

"You can't trust Kurenai sensei to do that?"

"The last time I asked her to house sit for me, that bitch fucked Asuma on my bed. No one gets down in my territory unless I'm there. I don't need to worry about that with you, since you're such an innocent, responsible, young lady."

 _"Plus your boyfriend that you're so nuts about is in another country."_ Anko added in her mind.

"I don't know..."

"I'll clean out all of the sex stuff."

"By clean out, do you mean throw it all in a closet and hang a "do not open" sign on the door?"

Anko smiled and brought Hinata in for another big hug.

"You know me so well! It's like we're real sisters!"

"Do you even have a closet big enough for all of that stuff?"

"Storage scrolls."

"... Okay I guess."

"You're the best Hinata!"

While Hinata was being smothered by the luscious mounds of Anko, Sasuke was back at his home, tearing through his closet. He eventually found what he was looking for. He pulled out the same box that his brother had given him all of those years ago. He opened it and held the bow in his hands.

 _"Still in excellent condition."_

Sasuke heard a knock at the door and ran to get it. He tossed his bow on the couch and looked through the peek hole. He was both happy and scared when he saw that it was Sakura. He opened the door for her and she started blushing.

"Hi... I just got back from my mission." She said.

"Do you want to come in and stay for dinner?"

"Yes..." She walked in and noticed the weapon on the couch.

"Are you taking up archery?"

"Thinking about it... I wanted to talk to you."

"About the last time I was here? I'm sorry I walked out on you like that."

"No, you were right to walk out. I've been a selfish jerk for a long time now. I want to change. I want to be social and talk to people. Most of all... I...Want...You."

Sakura was dumbstruck. She stared at him with her mouth hung open in complete shock.

"I've begun to finally realize how much you mean to me and I think that" Sakura tackled Sasuke to the ground and started assaulting his mouth with kisses.

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND KISS ME YOU FOOL!"

"Y-YES MA'AM!"

Outside, Kakashi read his favorite volume of Icha Icha paradise on Sasuke's roof.

"I wonder how far they'll go tonight?" He casually remarked.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO PULL OFF MY BRA!"

"YES MA'AM!"

"That answers that question. Good to see that Sakura has enough self-control to say no to that. They're both still way too young to"

"I KNOW YOU'RE ON THE ROOF KAKASHI!" Sakura screamed.

"Shit..." Kakashi closed his book and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Back with Hinata, she found a nice secluded spot to write to Naruto.

"Dear Naruto

I'm sorry but this letter is going to have some bad news in it. I met your cousin. I told her all about you and she promised me that she was going to go and see you as soon as she could. The next morning I found a note in her hotel room. It was addressed to me and it was instructions to tell you that you'll never see her again. I think it was written by one of the people she was travelling with. There was a foul mouthed girl who acted shamelessly and there was also a boy. I didn't see him but the other girl called him Tadakatsu. Whoever these people are, they plan to keep you away from your cousin at all costs. They threatened your loved ones ,me included, if you kept on trying to find her. Naruto, I want you to promise me that you won't stop searching for Karin. Don't bother yourself with worrying thoughts about me. If these people come, all they'll find is a righteous fury like they've never seen before."

 _"Is that a little too dramatic? Righteous fury is so unlike me... I'll leave it in and see what he says."_

"I know that one day you'll find your cousin and I hope that when that day comes, you bring her here so I can talk to her again. I liked talking to her.

Best wishes, Hinata."

Hinata sent the letter and made her way home.

Around this same time, Naruto and his new roommate were just about to start training.

"Okay, this jutsu is pretty hard so don't get mad if it takes you a long time to do it. Just watch what I do." Naruto bit his thumb and prepared the handsigns for the summoning jutsu. He slammed his hand on the ground and out popped Gamakichi. He looked at Naruto confused.

"Why'd you summon me?"

"I'm showing my new friend how to summon. He's already signed a contract with the rabbits and"

"Check your mail seal." Gamakichi ordered.

Naruto pulled it out of his pocket and to his surprise it indicated a message for him.

"Just got in a few minutes ago." Gamakichi explained.

"Thanks for the heads up."

Naruto drew a little more blood from his thumb and performed the jutsu again.

"Delivery, boss."

Naruto took the message and dismissed the summons.

"What is that?" Haku asked.

"A message from a friend. Practice your jutsu while I go read this."

Naruto ran behind some nearby rocks to read the message while Haku practiced.

Naruto went from happy, to angry, to confused in the course of reading the letter.

 _"Righteous fury? That isn't like Hinata."_

 ** _"I like it. It shows that she's starting to form a more aggressive side. You know what that means, right?"_**

 _"It means your going to make another lame sex joke?"_

 ** _"No, it means that she's becoming a stronger person. Not everything is about sex, pervert."_**

 _"Sometimes I want to smack you... What do you think about Karin?"_

 _ **"Tadakatsu has either, truly kidnapped her, or the sly dog tricked her with some sort of lie to stay with him. Either way, we need to find her as soon as possible."**_

"Naruto?" Haku called out.

"Yeah?" Naruto walked back over to Haku and was amazed at the sight. Dozens of full-grown ninja rabbits, all armed and dangerous.

"Am I doing good?"


	51. Chapter 51

ch. 51

 _"Pain in the ass!"_ The orange and yellow blur thought as it swiftly ducked behind a rock.

 ** _"I'm not helping you out of this one. You brought this on yourself."_** The deep voice in his head taunted.

 _"Thanks a lot freeloader. Shoot, they're on to me!"_ A lightning bolt flew through the air and demolished the hiding spot.

"Kind of excessive there, Omoi." Naruto said as he landed among the fresh debris.

Naruto looked much the same as he did three years ago. He still wore an all orange jacket and pants combo, but this one had some black streaks on the side. Unlike three years ago, Naruto chose to wear the jacket open, with a tight black shirt underneath. Naruto finally had a growth spurt and stood at a respectable height but perhaps the biggest difference was the growing bit of facial hair on the young man's chin. He stroked it proudly, while staring at his friend.

 _"God that goatee is stupid."_ Omoi thought with embarrassment. Omoi still wore the standard issue military uniform of the cloud village but thanks to a recent promotion he wore the chunin version of the uniform.

"Come on." Naruto taunted, motioning with his hand. Omoi charged in with a stab but Naruto dodged to the side. Omoi quickly turned around and tried to catch Naruto but his sword was blocked by a kunai that Naruto had hidden in his sleeve. Naruto quickly produced another kunai hidden in his other sleeve and blocked an overhead slash coming from behind him, courtesy of Karui. Like Omoi her wardrobe hadn't changed much in the years, choosing to wear the standard issue chunin uniform.

"Would you two take it easy on me if I apologized?" Naruto asked. He channeled some chakra to his feet and jumped high into the air.

"Fire style: phoenix flower jutsu!" Karui shot several small fireballs toward Naruto.

"I'll take that as a no." Naruto created a shadow clone and jumped off it's back to avoid the fire balls. He was suddenly tackled out of the air and slammed into the ground.

"Haku!? What the hell!?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"DOGPILE!" Omoi yelled before he body slammed the two. Karui followed his lead and Naruto was squished underneath his three friends.

"Shit, I know why Karui and Omoi are pissed but why are you coming after me?"

"You three looked like you were having fun so I decided to join in." Haku answered. The years didn't do much to change Haku's feminine looks. He still had the long flowing hair, and he wore a pink samurai style kimono with a white undershirt. Unlike Naruto, Haku hadn't gained much height in the last three years. He was now slightly shorter than Naruto. A fact that made Naruto very happy.

"Will you guys get off of me if I apologize?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Omoi answered.

"Maybe." Was Karui's answer.

"Okay. Omoi, I'm sorry I gave your little brother that dirty magazine. You're his older brother and that was your responsibility to give him that sort of thing."

"Apology accepted."

"Karui, I'm sorry for borrowing your lotion with out permission. You can have it back now."

"Fuck that. You're buying me another bottle, pervert."

"Fine."

"If you pull that shit again I'm gonna stick my sword up your ass... While it's on fire. You got it?"

"I got it." Everyone stood back up.

"Shouldn't you be at the academy, Haku?" Naruto asked.

"I had the day off today."

"What's the occasion?"

"The new feudal lord asked to be introduced to the head of each of the villages clans. Although I'm the only one left, that includes me as the head of the Yuki clan."

"Right, I forgot all about that. When is he supposed to get here?"

"He's due to arrive later tonight. Lord raikage expects you to be there too."

"I'll be there. Now if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of something important when these two jumped me." Naruto ran toward his home and left his three friends behind.

"He really stole your lotion?" Haku asked Karui.

"Yes. It was an expensive one too. Fucking pervert."

"At least you didn't catch him using it." Omoi said.

"Thank you for that mental image, asshole." Karui responded with an angry glare.

Naruto got home quick and ran up to his room. He was alone in the house, since his sister was currently on a mission, though she was due back any day now. He sat down at the desk between his and Haku's beds and bit his thumb. After flashing through a series of familiar hand signs he summoned a toad that held a letter.

"What took you so long? You usually summon me quicker after you get a letter."

"I was a bit preoccupied with something. Here's your payment." Naruto tossed a piece of candy in the air and the toad caught it in it's mouth. The happy toad handed Naruto the letter and teleported back home. Naruto began excitedly reading the letter.

"Dear Naruto

Remember my little sister? The one who kicked you in the face when we brought Gaara back to the village?"

Naruto rubbed his jaw for a second after reading that line.

 _"That brat's kick hurt like hell too."_

"Well, I was on my way to my shift at the hospital and I saw her talking to a boy with a blush on her face. I think she has a secret boyfriend, isn't that cute? I wonder how my father would react if he knew that his daughters were in relationships behind his back. He'd probably go insane. He always tells me and Hanabi that he wants our husbands to be ninjas that are at least as strong as him, so that he knows that they could protect us. As if we need protecting, right? I worked so hard so that he would acknowledge me but he still treats me like a child sometimes. I'm sorry if this comes off as a bit ranty. I just get a little frustrated when it comes to my father.

Hugs and kisses, Hinata." Next to Hinata's name was a lip shaped smear of lip stick. Naruto kissed it and then put the letter away. He looked out the window and started daydreaming about her.

 _"I wonder when I'll be able to see her again?"_

Naruto's mind may have been filled with thoughts of Hinata but Hinata's mind was preoccupied with something a little more important at the moment. That something was the super human punch from Tsunade that was coming at her head at that moment.

"Ah!" Hinata gasped as she barely dodged the attack. She countered with a strike to Tsunade's torso but the Sannin easily avoided the attack and countered with an arm throw, sending Hinata flying. She would have slammed right into one of the trees scattered around the training grounds had Ino not caught her.

Hinata and Ino had both grown considerably since they were kids. They had both developed beautiful figures and they both dealt with that fact in different ways. Ino relished in the new found attention. She wore a purple top and bottom combination that tightly hugged her athletic figure. Her top was so small it didn't even cover her stomach. She would occasionally joke that it was the same top from when she was still a genin. It wasn't but some people believed her.

Hinata on the other hand had taken to hiding her developing figure with an even baggier coat than she had all those years ago. There was only one man she wanted to look at her in that way and he was nowhere near the village at the moment.

"Thank you Ino." Hinata graciously thanked her friend as they slid to a halt next to a tree.

"Watch out!" Ino threw Hinata away right in time for them to both avoid one of Tsunade's earth shattering axe kicks.

"Leave it to me!" Sakura proclaimed as she rushed Tsunade. Tsunade stood her ground and pulled back for one of her legendary punches. Sakura however was not afraid and pulled her own fist back in the same manner.

"Are you nuts forehead!?" Ino yelled at her.

Sakura and Tsunade's fists clashed and for a split second it looked like they were even. It was soon apparent however that Sakura was no match for her hokage and she was sent rolling across the grounds before being caught by Ino.

"I got you forehead." Ino said as she cradled her friend.

Sakura, like Ino had kept to a similar color scheme from her childhood days. She still wore red, although she ditched the girly outfit from her youth and began wearing a more combat appropriate top with black shorts.

"That's enough for today." Tsunade said. All three girls lined up in front of their master and bowed.

"How did we do today, lady Tsunade?" Hinata asked.

"You all performed admirably. Hinata, you have made significant improvements to your taijutsu, though still not quite on par with your cousin. Ino, you looked after your teammates very well and got them out of some tough spots. Teamwork like that is an important asset. Sakura, Even though your last attack was very foolish, I'm impressed by how far you've come in the short time since I've taught you how to enhance your punches like me. You can all have the rest of the day off. You've earned it." The trio of girls bowed as their sensei left. When she was out of earshot the three girls let out a sigh.

"Tsunade has really turned up the pressure during these combat tests." Ino said, her voice showing her fatigue.

"I know. Even father doesn't work me and Hanabi this hard." Hinata said, her voice even softer than usual.

"Speaking of hard working, I'm gonna go. Sasuke and Kakashi should be training nearby. I'm gonna go kick the shit out of them."

"See ya." Hinata and Ino waved goodbye while the brash banshee walked in the direction of her team.

"What are you gonna do Hinata?" Ino asked.

"Well... I'm kind of hungry." Hinata replied, followed by a low grumble coming from her stomach.

"Want some company? Asuma is on a mission and the other two are probably bumming around Choji's house.

"I'd be delighted." Hinata and Ino left in the direction of the village and soon arrived at Ichiraku ramen. A place that Hinata started to regularly visit after Naruto told her about it in a letter.

"Welcome! What can I get you young ladies today?" Old man Ichiraku greeted.

"The usual for me, Teuchi." Hinata replied happily.

"I'll have whatever she's having." Ino said as the two sat down. While Teuchi started cooking Ino and Hinata started talking.

"So Anko has been gone for a lot longer than usual. Do you think she's okay?" Ino asked.

"We received a message from her recently. She thinks she may be closing in on her main target. I hope she returns soon."

"Anko isn't a jonin for nothing. She'll be just fine."

"You're probably right but I can't stop myself from worrying when a friend is on such a dangerous mission."

"Order up!" Teuchi placed the girl's order in front of them with a smile and instantly brightened the mood.

With a smile, the girls thanked him and began their meal. Unbeknownst to them, Hinata was right to worry about Anko.

That night the super sexy kunoichi known as Anko stood triumphantly over a pile of sound village bodies. Her team of four ANBU were raiding the warehouse they were standing in for whatever the sound village was hiding here.

"Have you guys found anything yet?" She questioned to her team.

"We've found some weapons and narcotics but nothing out of the ordinary." One ANBU answered.

"That prisoner we took said that there was an important set of weapons here, hidden in storage scrolls. You guys keep searching the ground floor, while I go upstairs and see if I can find anything in the office." Anko disappeared after giving her order and the team of ANBU continued searching the place.

"Do you really believe what that prisoner told us? One of the ANBU asked another while they opened up a crate filled with drugs.

"I don't know. We won't know until we search every inch of this place... Where did Bear go?" The ANBU looked across the warehouse at where his colleagues were mere seconds ago.

"... I could have sworn he was right over there with Gorilla. Do you want me to go search for them?... Rooster?"

Anko was looking through some paperwork she found in the warehouses office when the lights suddenly switched off.

 _"Shit!"_

She quickly ran out of the office and jumped down to the ground floor. As she feared her team had joined the sound ninja on the pile of bodies they stacked up.

"I'll be damned. I know you." An unknown voice said in the darkness.

"... So I take it you're the big bad wolf I've been hearing about?" Anko dodged to the side and avoided a crate that came flying from behind her.

"And you're the snake's old pet." The unknown voice taunted.

"I'm no one's pet!" Anko threw a kunai in the direction of the voice but hit nothing but air.

"That's not what I heard. Orochimaru had a pretty extensive file on you. It even detailed some of your... more primal pass times." A barrage of shuriken came out of nowhere and Anko skillfully managed to block all of them.

"I'm not the only one with that kind of hobby. I know about your little harem." Anko started slowly making her way toward a nearby exit to escape the pitch black room.

"What can I say? I was born and raised in a place where that sort of thing was cool."

"You mean the whorehouse?" Anko questioned with a smile while she tried to scan the dark warehouse for her enemy.

"..."

"That's right. We may not know much about you, but we know about your mother. In fact, I know a couple of guys who had her."

Anko barely dodged a spear that was aimed for her head and she dived through the door out onto the docks that the warehouse was on.

 _"At least I can see out in this moonlight."_ She thought. Dodging another spear that flew out of the door she just used, Anko managed to grab hold of it as it flew past her and readied herself for the fight she was about to have.

"Come on out Tadakatsu."

"As you wish." Tadakatsu flew out of the building with a spear in hand and he clashed with Anko.

 _"What the hell is up with this guy?! He's supposed to be a teenager!"_ Anko thought while she took in the sight of the man in front of her. Who she thought was going to be a skinny teenager was actually a very muscular man, Taller than her by a few inches. His spiky red hair reminded her of Naruto but his eyes were filled with hate. His open blue coat had red spots, no doubt blood from her team. His coat was open, His chest covered only by a chain mail undershirt. Tadakatsu pulled back and started stabbing at Anko. She managed to dodge him well enough but he eventually caught her by surprise with a low kick that sweeped her and knocked her on the ground. Tadakatsu came down with his spear to impale Anko through the gut but she managed to avoid it by grabbing the spear and deflecting it to the side. She snaked her legs around one of his arms and rolled him into an arm bar. Tadakatsu managed to block it by locking his hands together. Anko tried as hard as she could but she wasn't strong enough to break his grip and get the proper hold.

"You're a pretty deceptive fighter. Just like the other snake." Tadakatsu said.

"Shut the hell up!" Anko spat back. She hated being compared to Orochimaru.

"Struck a nerve?" Tadakatsu suddenly rolled over so that his body was over Anko's. He lifted her up and slammed her into the ground as hard as he could. Anko yelped in pain and Tadakatsu grabbed her by the throat and took out a kunai.

"You remind me of my mom, so I'll make it a quick death." He raised the kunai but before he could bring it down, Anko grabbed the hand that was choking her and a snake came out of her sleeve and bit Tadakatsu's hand.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed. He jumped away and ripped a section off of his coat so that he could wrap it around his wrist to try and stop any poison from circulating.

"I'll admit, you're a tough one, but if there's one thing Orochimaru did for me, he made me a damn good ninja. You and the rest of the sound village are nothing but a reminder of one of the worst criminals in history. It's time I put you down for good."

Anko took out a kunai and charged at Tadakatsu but stopped suddenly.

"We'll call this one a draw. I'm not in the mood for a three way tonight." Anko threw a smoke bomb on the ground and disappeared.

"You aren't going to go after the bitch?" Tadakatsu turned around and saw a familiar face.

"If she's even a quarter of as sneaky as Orochimaru I wouldn't be able to catch her. Let's just secure the weapons and get out of here Tayuya. I need to get to Karin so she can analyze my hand for poison."

Tadakatsu wasn't the only one who had an astounding growth spurt in the last three years. Tayuya had turned from a foul-mouthed shrimp into a foul-mouthed bombshell. She was just as tall as him and her chest was filling out considerably. Her hips were wide, perfect for bearing children. She dropped the sound four uniform years ago and replaced it with a tight, black leather jacket and pants combo. The back of the jacket had a white sound village insignia on it and she had small spikes going down the side of her arms and a holster on her pants that held her flute. Probably the biggest change was her hair. Her long flowing locks were gone, replaced by a punk rock style mohawk. Most guys would have probably been turned off by such a huge change. Tadakatsu is not most guys. He hungrily looked her up and down. He wanted her, but he would have to wait to have her.

"Are we gonna go get those two assholes or are you going to just stare at me all night?"

Elsewhere in the world, Naruto was standing next to Haku in the corner of the raikage's ballroom. The two friends awaiting their chance to meet the new feudal lord. The raikage was walking him around the ball room, introducing him to all of the clan heads. Naruto and Haku looked over the man as he walked around. At first glance he didn't seem too noteworthy. He was a little young for the position but the women in the room didn't seem to mind. Many a giggle could be heard from the younger girls who thought that the new lord was cute. His hair was short and blonde, while his skin was a golden tan. He also had an infectious smile that seemed to spread to whoever he was talking to.

 _"This guy may be the greatest bullshit artist I've ever seen."_ Naruto inwardly conversed to Kurama.

 ** _"I know what you mean. Something about this man is off. Everything about him seems fake. I know that he's a politician and that's par for the course with them, but still... I don't like this guy."_**

 _"Something is strange with his chakra too. You remember in the movie we saw that one time, when the sexy kunoichi have to break into the museum and they trick the guard watching the security camera by using a little machine that freezes the picture on the monitor?"_

 ** _"The only thing I remember about that movie is the shower scene."_**

 _"... Anyway, it feels kind of like that with this guy. His chakra is too static. Like it's there to fool sensory types like me."_

"Look sharp." Haku broke Naruto out of his talk with Kurama just in time for their turn to meet the new lord.

"Lord Nathair, I'd like you to meet Haku of the Yuki clan, and Naruto of the Uzumaki clan." A introduced the two and lord Nathair bowed respectfully.

"It is an honor to make the acquaintance of such fine shinobi. I've heard stories of your valor."

Haku bowed back and thanked the lord for his kind words. Lord Nathair turned his attention to Naruto who just stared back at the man for a few seconds. Stealing a glimpse at Haku, Naruto knew exactly what he was thinking with one look.

 _"I know you're suspicious but play it cool."_

Naruto knew his friend was right so he also bowed to the lord and thanked him for his compliment. With a smile that Naruto and Haku recognized as fake, the new lord and the raikage left them alone once again.

 _"Something is definitely not right with that man."_ Naruto thought as he watched lord Nathair leave.

Elsewhere, Tadakatsu sat quietly while Karin administered an antidote to his hand that Anko's snake bit earlier that night.

"You think he ever did it?" He asked his brainy lover.

Karin had grown taller in the past three years but the physical changes end there. Her body was lean and petite as opposed to the now curvaceous Tayuya, a fact that bothered Karin more than she let on. She wore a much less attention grabbing outfit than Tayuya, consisting of a normal purple top and black shorts, though she wore the top in a way that showed off her belly button, at Tadakatsu's request. She also wore long black leggings that tightly covered her long legs.

"What are you talking about?"

"That Anko woman was beautiful. Do you think Orochimaru ever nailed h"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT NASTY SHIT LIKE THAT!" Karin smacked Tadakatsu upside the head.

"What!? I was just curious if you think Orochimaru ever nailed" Tadakatsu shut his mouth when Karin raised her hand again.

Although her physical changes were small, Karin had developed a bit of an angry streak as she grew. Not many things could set her off, but anything to do with Orochimaru was one of them. She would hate that man till the day she died for separating her from her cousin.

"Sorry... Are you done with my hand?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine now. Where's Tayuya?"

"Waiting for us in the bedroom."

Karin grabbed a hold of Tadakatsu's arm and they began walking to their room to have their fun for the night. Unfortunately for them, someone was about to crash their party.

"This place hasn't changed much." A hooded figure commented as it entered the hide out.

"If I know Tadakatsu, he'll have taken the room with the biggest bed, which is right down this hall." The mysterious man made his way through the dark corridors of the lair.

The sound of a toilet flushing got the man's attention and he stopped in the middle of the hall. One of the doors opened up in front of him and a woman walked out, drying her hands with a paper towel.

 _"Tayuya?"_ The stranger thought, barely recognizing her. She noticed him and they both stood around for a few seconds just staring at each other. Eventually Tayuya was the one who broke the silence.

"Who in the mother of fuck are you!?"

"Tayuya... You used to have such beautiful hair. Why did you do such a fool thing to it?"

The stranger removed his hood and Tayuya was scared out of her mind.

"Y-Y-Y-YOU!?"

"Y-Y-Y-Yes, me. Make yourself useful and get Tadakatsu. I've got something important to speak with him about. It involves you so I'd hurry up if you want to live."

Tayuya's body was covered in black marks all over and she got into a battle stance.

"FUCK YOU OROCHIMARU!" She jumped at him and came down with an axe kick that was easily avoided.

"I never understood how someone so gifted in the complicated arts of genjutsu could be such an idiot." Tayuya was backhanded away easily. but flipped and landed on her feet.

"Look at me you fool. Did Orochimaru have white hair?"

"What the hell is going on here!?" Tadakatsu finally arrived with Karin and he stood watching the mysterious stranger with interest.

"Are you... Kabuto?" He asked, bewildered. His facial structure resembled Kabuto, but his skin was pale like Orochimaru's and he had the same snake like yellow eyes with purple outlines.

"Hello Tadakatsu. We've got a problem."


	52. Chapter 52

ch. 52

"Pin that skinny little wuss! WOOH!" Naruto screamed at the television. Naruto's cheering seemed to have paid off since the wrestler in question immediately pinned his opponent.

Haku walked into the room clearly irritated at the outburst.

"Naruto, would you mind keeping it down? I've got lesson plans to work on."

"What?"

"Please don't start with that crap now."

"What?"

"Seriously, don't."

"What?"

"Say what one more time."

"What?"

Haku wasn't in the mood to play Naruto's game tonight. He walked over and slapped him over the head.

"You done fucked up now." Naruto said with a smile. He picked up Haku and slammed him into the carpet. The two room mates started wrestling on the floor. Naruto was dominating due to his obvious size and strength advantage but Haku was no weakling either. They fought for a few minutes before Naruto finally pinned Haku to the floor.

"Who's the king of the castle?" Naruto arrogantly asked.

"Neither of you." Naruto and Haku looked up and saw Yugito, back from her mission.

"Before I forget, the raikage told me that he needs to see you two in the morning. Something about a mission." Yugito turned and walked away. No doubt to take a shower after her long mission.

The next morning, Naruto and Haku went to the raikage's office as ordered.

"What do ya need us for boss?" Naruto asked.

"I'll make this quick, lord Nathair has requested you two as his bodyguards for a political gathering in the land of iron. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

"What? Why do we have to go?" Naruto complained.

"He said you two made a good impression on him last night. I shouldn't have to remind you of the importance of a mission like this, Naruto. This man is going to be our biggest supplier of work for the foreseeable future. Don't mess this up. Haku, I trust you can keep your friend in line?"

"I will sir." Haku answered. Naruto stormed out of the room, fuming mad. Before Haku could follow him, the raikage stopped him.

"You two aren't the only ones suspicious of him. Just remember to tread lightly. He has the power to destroy our economy if he wants too. I won't risk us being in the same situation that the sand village was in a few years ago."

"Yes sir."

Elsewhere, Naruto was walking through the village, mumbling to himself about "bullshit missions". He decided to head to the training grounds to work out some of his frustration. When he got there he saw some familiar faces sparring.

"Zaku! Kin!" He yelled to get their attention.

The two former sound village genin turned and welcomed their friend with a smile. They had also grown considerably in the last three years, With Zaku around the same height as Naruto. Kin was about a head shorter than Zaku. They both wore cloud genin uniforms but Kin spiced up her outfit with a matching grey scarf.

"Just who I wanted to see. Think fast!" Zaku lifted his arm and pointed it at Naruto. Naruto jumped in the air to avoid the fireball that flew out of Zaku's arm cannon.

"That's new." Naruto thought out loud after landing.

"I've finally managed to apply my element to these cannons in my arms. Now I can use fire without weaving hand signs. Awesome ain't it?" Zaku boasted.

"That is awesome!" Naruto agreed while cracking his knuckles.

"Let's put that new ability of yours to the test." Naruto leapt at Zaku and the two friends began sparring.

"... I guess I'll referee then." Kin said. She knew that trying to come between these two when they decided to go at it was pointless.

The two started their sparring with some taijutsu. Naruto started off with a roundhouse kick that Zaku ducked. Zaku attempted to counter with an uppercut, but Naruto barely dodged it. Naruto backed away and started sniffing around.

"You smell something burning?" He asked.

"Nope." Zaku said, barely holding back hysterical laughter.

"Dumbass..." Kin said flatly.

Naruto quickly realized that the burning smell was coming from his own head. The tips of some of his spikes were slowly burning and Naruto started freaking out and running back and forth like an idiot. Eventually Kin put the fire out by pouring the contents of her canteen over his head.

"He can also coat his hands in fire chakra that burns anything his hand gets close to. You're lucky he only got the tips."

Naruto glared at Zaku who was now howling with laughter. In the blink of an eye Naruto closed the distance between them and tackled Zaku to the ground.

"Just for that, I'm going to put you in every submission hold I know." Naruto was a man of his word. Naruto arrived home around nightfall after taking a brief detour to the store to get some products to fix his hair. Before he opened the door he noticed a piece of paper pinned to the door with a senbon.

"Yugito's friends are here tonight. Killer Bee said we could stay at his place." The note read. Not wanting to deal with his sister's floozy friends tonight, Naruto hurried to Killer Bee's house. It wasn't very far so he arrived within minutes. Naruto knocked on the door and Haku answered. Something was off about him though. His face was pink and he looked wobbly on his feet.

"Did Bee get you drunk?" Naruto asked.

"Not... Bee... His... Friend." Haku said, hiccuping between words.

"Who does he have over? Naruto asked as he walked in.

Haku led him to the living room where the last person he expected to see was sitting on the couch.

"Well if it isn't my cute little godson!" Jiraiya happily exclaimed. His face even pinker than Haku's. Killer Bee passed out on the floor in front of him with an empty bottle of sake in his hand.

Naruto said the only thing he thought was appropriate at that moment.

"What the fuck!?"

Meanwhile, back at the leaf village.

"The reason I called you two in here is because there is going to be a political gathering in the land of iron in a few days and the feudal lord has requested two chunin as bodyguards. I've chosen you two because, HEY! My eyes are up here missy!" TenTen blushed and apologized to the hokage.

"As I was saying, I've chosen you because the feudal lord asked for this one by name." Tsunade nodded in the direction of Sasuke who nodded back.

"The reason I chose you as his partner is because"

"Because you acknowledge me as the best kunoichi!?" TenTen blurted out.

"... Yes."

"I promise I won't let you down lady Tsunade!"

"Meet the feudal lord at the main gate in the morning. You two are dismissed." TenTen ran out of the office at top speed. Sasuke stayed behind and Tsunade had a good idea why.

"The real reason I chose her is that the only other available chunin is Lee. This mission is too important for you two to have one of your ridiculous dick measuring contests."

"... We only did that once. I also wanted to ask, why chunin instead of jonin?"

"The feudal lords always agree on what level of security they're allowed to bring before any gathering. This year they agreed on chunin. cheap bastards probably didn''t feel like paying for jonin this year. If that's all, you should head home. Didn't you have a dinner date with Sakura tonight? She mentioned something about cooking you something special."

"... Shit."


	53. Chapter 53

ch. 53

"So let me get this straight..." Tadakatsu started from his seat behind his desk, Tayuya sitting to his right on the edge of the desk and Karin on the other side of the room pouring a cup of tea.

"You found Orochimaru in a weakened state and you... LET HIM LIVE!?" Tadakatsu screamed at Kabuto.

Kabuto wiped a little bit of spit that flew from Tadakatsu's mouth off of his cheek before responding.

"I assure you that I had every intention of killing him when I was done with my sage training. However, I underestimated the speed of his recovery and about two months ago he escaped."

"Two fucking months!?" Tayuya blurted out.

"Yes. The white snake sage forbid me from going after him until I completed my training. Before then I would have been no match for him."

"But you are now?" Karin asked as she offered him a cup of tea. With a smile Kabuto took it.

"Sadly, I fear my powers still won't be enough to finish him. That's one of the reasons I came here to seek your assistince."

"One of the reasons?" Tadakatsu asked.

"Yes. The other reason, is her." Kabuto pointed at Tayuya and she visibly shivered under his gaze."

"The hell you say!? You aren't taking my woman!"

"I have no intention of stealing your woman." _"At least not that one"_ He added in his mind.

"There is a secret purpose of the curse mark that you must know. Inside of every curse mark is a piece of Orochimaru that can be used to revive him. If we don't remove it then finding and killing Orochimaru will mean nothing. Only by removing the last two curse marks in the world and by killing Orochimaru can the world finally be rid of him."

Everyone in the room was shocked at this news. The first person to collect themselves was Karin.

"Wait, how do you know that there are only two left in the world? Orochimaru may have placed more since he escaped you."

"Don't worry. Every time Orochimaru jumped into a new body, he would have to take a small amount of Jugo's blood into himself before he was able to place more curse marks."

"Jugo? Why is he so important?" Karin asked.

"Orochimaru invented the curse mark by combining his chakra with Jugo's unstable DNA. It's a vital component of the mark."

"Well shit, I'm glad I kept that crazy asshole close after I took over." Tadakatsu said relieved.

"Where are you keeping Jugo now?" Kabuto asked.

"He's locked in a special cage downstairs. He's a lot harder to control now that Kimimaro is dead but I figured the big guy would still be handy to keep around."

"You thought right."

"You said we would need to remove the curse mark, Do you know of a safe way how?" Tadakatsu asked, clearly concerned for his beloved.

"Yes. Orochimaru devised a process that removes the mark in case one of his underlings grew powerful enough to match him through it. A bit of fair warning though, it'll be painful."

"I like it painful." Tayuya said before standing up.

"I want to get it over with now. Get that disgusting bastards chakra out of me."

"As you wish." Kabuto's hand started glowing green and he tapped Tayuya on the forehead. She was instantly unconscious and Tadakatsu had to stand up and catch her.

"Take her to the lab Tadakatsu. Karin, since your the only other person in this entire organization who isn't an uneducated moron, I would be grateful if you could assist me during the procedure."

Naruto woke up the next morning to a light kick in the side from his godfather.

"Get up. I have something serious to tell you." Jiraiya walked into Bee's kitchen and Naruto stood up from his spot on the floor to follow him.

 _"You weren't kidding when you said the old pervert could party."_

 ** _"I told you."_**

Naruto sat in between Haku and Bee at Bee's kitchen table. Haku looked like hell, a side effect of the heavy drinking he did the night before. If Bee was sick he wasn't showing it but since he's a jinchuriki he probably had an easier time metabolizing the liquor than Haku did. Jiraiya was mixing up some weird concoction but as soon as Naruto sat down he started talking.

"I already told Bee all of this but you and your sister need to know as well. After the defeat of Orochimaru something Bee told me had me curious. One of Orochimaru's henchmen mentioned to him that he should be wary of an organization that Orochimaru was once a member of. He didn't say the name but I did some digging and I found it. They call themselves the Akatsuki and they plan on extracting all nine of the tailed beasts from their current hosts."

Jiraiya went silent to give Naruto a second to take that in. He expected Naruto to get angry and judging by Naruto's shaking, he was right.

"How many... How many have they gotten so far?"

"Two. The first was a runaway from the mist village. He contained the six tailed beast. The second was a girl from the waterfall village who contained the seven tails."

"... What were their names?" Naruto asked, doing everything in his power to keep from exploding.

"The girl was Fu. The man was Utakata."

"... I've got to go clear my head. You guys should tell sis and the raikage." Naruto stormed off. Haku wanted to go after him but Jiraiya placed whatever he was brewing in front of him.

"Drink that. It'll cure your hangover." Haku was suspicious of the bubbling pink substance but he drank anyway. Approximately five seconds later he was hunched over Bee's toilet expelling the contents of his stomach. A few seconds after that he was rushing at Jiraiya trying to strangle him for making him drink such a foul potion. At least his hangover was cured like Jiraiya said.

Naruto went to the one place he knew he could be alone and safely blow off some steam. He looked around the destroyed landscape and remembered the first time he practiced the full tailed beast transformation with his sister.

 ** _"Naruto..."_**

 _"I won't let what happened to mom happen to sis."_

 ** _"Naruto, You know there's a good chance that the man who removed me from your mother and hypnotized me is a part of this."_**

 _"I know. The masked man who's responsible for the death of my parent's and who drove you mad with the sharingan. The cause of everything that's gone wrong in my life."_

 ** _"What will you do if you meet him?"_**

 _"The first thing I'm going to do is ask him why. The second thing I'm going to do is kick his ass from one side of the world to the other. Until then, lend me a little power so I can go wild and get out this frustration."_

 ** _"We don't have much time until we have the mission to escort the asshole."_**

 _"Five minutes then. Just give me five minutes."_

Four minutes later a shock-wave went through the village. It knocked over an empty mug of coffee that was sitting on the raikage's desk.

"That was probably Naruto expressing himself." Haku noted. Him and Bee had just briefed Yugito and the raikage.

"Well... The obvious thing for me to do is to keep all three of you in the village for the foreseeable future. There's a problem with that though. Lord Nathair has insisted that he doesn't want any other ninja besides Naruto and Haku to take him to the land of iron."

"I'm sorry but my brother's safety comes first. I refuse to let him leave when we know that he'll be in danger."

A knock at the door got everyone's attention. Lord Nathair walked in with a big smile on his face.

"I'm ready to go lord raikage. Would you please summon my body guards for this journey? I see that one is already here."

"About that lord Nathair, would you mind if we sent someone besides Naruto to go with Haku on this mission?"

Nathair dropped the smile instantly.

"That simply won't do lord raikage. I asked for the best chunin in the village and Naruto is that chunin." A spoke up but Nathair cut him off.

"I realize that it is inconvenient for me to take two clan heirs, but you gave me your word that I could have any available ninja for this journey. I have made my decision and it is up to you to stay true to your word. After all, If you won't stay true to your word, I'm sure I could find a kage who will."

"... Haku will find Naruto and meet you at the village entrance in an hour."

Nathair lit up with his fake smile once again.

"Excellent." He turned and left with Haku leaving right behind him to find Naruto.

"Bee... How exactly did you find out this information?" A asked.

"I told you, I had a friend look into the warning that Orochimaru's man gave me."

"Yes, but you failed to mention who the friend was."

"That's not important right now."

"It was probably Jiraiya of the Sannin and he's probably long gone by now." Yugito interjected.

"Him and Bee became best friends at those chunin exams when they bonded over their love of prostitutes."

Bee started to sweat a little bit under the glare from his brother.

"When were you going to tell me about this new friend, Bee?"

"...Eventually."

Yugito walked out of the room and casually waved goodbye to the raikage's secretary. Said secretary jumped when she heard Bee's iron claw induced screams through the door.

True to the raikage's word, an hour later Naruto and Haku met up with Nathair and started their journey. Luckily for them their country wasn't particularly far from the land of iron so their trip wouldn't take as long as some others. The trip was shortened even more by a quick boat ride.

The entire trip there, Nathair was constantly talking to Haku. Asking him questions such as how he came to the cloud village, or asking him to show off some of his ice powers. Haku obliged him for the most part. Naruto had his mind on other things during the trip. Namely the newly revealed enemy.

 _"I wonder what these Akatsuki are like."_ He pondered to Kurama.

 ** _"Whoever they are, they must be incredibly powerful to have defeated two jinchuriki already. We're going to have to be extra careful on this mission."_**

 _"You think we may have to fight one soon?"_

 ** _"We'll be lucky if we only have to fight one."_**

Meanwhile in the land of iron, A familiar man walked through the snowy landscape draped in a black cloak covered in red clouds. To his left was a much smaller man in a similar cloak, an orange mask blocking his face from view.

"Whoa, is this really where you grew up , Shishio?" The smaller man asked as he looked up at the enormous mansion in awe.

"Yes Tobi. I told you that my father spared no expense when it came to me and my mother. Now let's hurry inside. We don't want to keep my mother waiting."


	54. Chapter 54

ch. 54

"ACHOO!" Naruto sneezed as he took in the sights of the snowy city. The capital of the land of iron was a beautiful place. Too bad that beauty came from the freezing snow. Even the sun hanging in the sky did nothing to warm up the land.

"I hate this place already... ACHOO!" He sneezed again. Body shivering from the intense cold, despite his winter cloak.

"Not used to the cold Naruto?" Nathair asked as he walked beside him, not showing any visible signs of discomfort.

"I kind of like it here." Haku said. The snow all around made Haku feel at home.

"Are we almost to that damn hotel?" Naruto asked.

"The hotel is right there." Nathair pointed to a huge building to their right and Naruto didn't waste any time running ahead.

"Much better!" Naruto exclaimed when he felt the warmth of the hotel's heater hit his body.

Nathair and Haku followed him in. Nathair immediately introduced himself and acquired everyone's room keys. Handing one each to Haku and Naruto he excused himself saying that he was tired, but he handed Naruto and Haku some money so that they could enjoy the hotels restaurant and bar.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Naruto asked.

"It'll be fine. One with your skills should be able to confirm my safety even from far away. Now go eat, that's an order." Nathair walked away, not giving Naruto a chance to retort.

Always being one to follow his gut, Naruto created a shadow clone and instructed it to keep an eye on Nathair. It followed Nathair from a safe distance to his room and attempted to listen in through the door. To his surprise there was dead silence. Not even the sound of a television.

 _"privacy seal? That's not suspicious at all..."_ Naruto's clone thought.

Back downstairs Naruto and Haku were enjoying some nice hot ramen together after their trip.

"Man that hit the spot!" Naruto exclaimed after he finished chugging the soup. He quickly ordered another.

"Nothing like some hot ramen to warm a body up, right Haku?"

"Honestly, I kind of prefer it out there than to in here."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I was born in a cold area. Not to mention my bloodline would be kind of pointless if my body couldn't handle extreme cold."

"Well, at least one of us likes it here. I hope we don't have to stay too long."

"The rest of the lords should be appearing some time tonight or tomorrow. We only got here first because we were the closest."

"Hmm... I wonder who the leaf village assigned as the fire lords bodyguards? I hope I get to see some of my old friends again."

 ** _"I just hope we don't have to deal with the last Uchiha again."_**

Said Uchiha was currently sitting across from TenTen in the dining car of the train they were taking to the land of iron. They sat a short distance from the lord of fire as he socialized with other nobles and businessmen who also happened to be taking the same train.

"So..." TenTen racked her brain for a way to start a conversation with the ever stoic Uchiha.

"So what?" He answered, never taking his eyes off their client. With Sakura's help he started to come out of his shell but on missions he was still as serious as ever.

"So... How are things with you and Sakura?"

"We're doing fine."

"Oh, I just remembered something that I've always wanted to ask you. Is it true that Sakura's dad came to your house with a torch and threatened to burn your clans compound down if you hurt his daughter?"

"No. Ino started that rumor as a joke. Sakura's dad is terrified of me."

"Really?"

"Not as terrified as he is of Sakura... Or her mom."

"Teehee." TenTen giggled.

"That wasn't a joke."

"I figured. So how far into the relationship are you and Sakura? Have you screwed yet?"

TenTen couldn't have asked that question at a worse time as Sasuke had just taken a sip of water and almost choked on it.

"That is none of your concern!" He said with a deep blush.

 _"Oh this is gonna be fun."_ TenTen thought with a mischievous smirk.

"So that's a no then? What's the hold up? I would have torn that up by now."

"You would have what?"

"Relax, I'm not gonna go for the conversion on Sakura. Not that she doesn't have a great body. She's got that tight athletic figure with just enough muscle to make you feel safe as you cuddle into her arms."

"Please don't" Sasuke begged but was cut off as TenTen continued.

"If I was being honest though, Ino is more my type. She's got a fantastic body and she's open minded enough to do all the dirty stuff."

Sasuke never wanted to end a conversation so much in his life.

"Then there's Hinata. Her body is thick and juicy in all the right places. You'd never know it because she wears that baggy jacket but I've seen her in tighter clothes and I almost lost my freaking mind."

 _"Maybe I should just hypnotize her."_ Sasuke thought.

"Of course, they all pale in comparison to lady Tsunade. Lady Tsunade's perfection puts the gods to shame. Oh my dear lady, when will you acknowledge my love for you?" TenTen began to blush and stared out the window with a dreamy look on her face.

"You know that she's like fifty right?"

"Age is just a number. All that matters is the feelings you have when you're together."

"... You stole that line from a porno."

Before TenTen could question how Sasuke knew that line was from a porno the conductor said over the intercom that they would be arriving at the capital by nightfall.

"About damn time." TenTen said. "Once we get off the train I can finally play in the snow."

"What?" Sasuke questioned.

"Oh... Did I say that out loud?" TenTen blushed. "When I was a little girl my parents and I went on vacation here. One of my favorite memories is playing in the snow."

"This is a mission you know. You should frolic in the snow on your own time."

"I would if snow wasn't as rare as freaking gold in our country. When was the last time we got snow? Like ten years ago?"

"That sounds about right."

"Oh well. It's not all bad. At least the warm weather means more cute girls walking around in shorts and other sexy skin revealing clothes."

 _"And it comes full circle back to women. Lee wasn't kidding about her "youthful libido". At least the topic moved away from me and Sakura."_

"So about you and Sakura"

 _"Damn it."_

While Sasuke mentally debated abusing the hypnotic abilities of his sharingan, some interesting developments were happening elsewhere.

Shishio walked swiftly through the halls of his childhood home looking for his partner, the mysterious masked Tobi. The twin katana's strapped to his sides and Zabuza's great-sword attached to his back clanged with every step. He eventually ran into an elderly servant who pointed him in the direction of his mother's dojo. Upon entering he was greeted by the sight of his mother with a literal monkey on her back.

"Tobi... Why are you transformed as a monkey and why are you climbing my mother like a tree?"

A tree was a fitting description of Shishio's mother. Even sitting down she towered over normal people. She stood up and revealed her true height to be upwards of ten feet tall. Her long flowing blonde hair reached all the way down to her waist and it matched her loose yellow kimono.

"I told him about how you used to climb on me like a monkey back when you were a baby and he said it sounded like fun." His mother explained.

"Mother, shouldn't you be using your crutches?" Shishio asked. She scowled at him in response.

"My knees aren't so far gone that I can't traverse my home under my own power. Those idiot doctors don't know what they're talking about." Shishio's mother started slowly walking toward the exit.

"I'm going to my room. Don't disturb me until dinner is ready for the night." As she passed Shishio he snatched Tobi off of her back and he dispelled his transformation.

"Your mom is fun Shishio."

Shishio didn't respond. He slid the door to the dojo shut and placed a privacy seal on the door.

"Zetsu is here." He said as he placed Tobi down.

"Yeah I know. I just didn't want to stop playing with your mom."

"... I should kill you for the way you phrased that."

"If you did that we would need two new members instead of one." A strange plant like creature emerged through the wooden floor. It's body was covered in a venus flytrap like shell and inside was a white and black covered man. The creature wore an Akatsuki robe that marked it as their ally.

"Kakuzu killed another partner?" Shishio inquired.

"Yes." "And what a bloody death it was." The creature suddenly switched voices from a deep gravelly voice to a higher more shrill one. Strangely it's lips only moved when the shrill voice spoke.

"Who is next on the list of potential Akatsuki candidates?" Shishio asked.

"A man named Hidan." The deep voice of the creature answered.

"The Jashin worshiper who supposedly can't die? A fitting partner for Kakuzu." Shishio answered.

"I've spent the last few days spying on this Hidan and I believe that Tobi is the best choice for recruiting him."

"Shall I accompany him?" Shishio asked.

"No. I have another task for you. Tobi should be enough."

"You heard the plant. I'll see you later shishio. Give your mom my regards!" And with that Tobi disappeared in a strange whirlpool of energy that seemed to suck him into his own eye.

"Introducing him to my mother was a mistake... What job do you have for me Zetsu?"

"A chance to redeem yourself for your failure from three years ago."

Back at the restaurant, Naruto and Haku watched a wrestling event on a television above the bar. Naturally after living with Naruto for so long, Haku grew to like the ridiculous story lines and the spectacular if impractical moves, just as much as Naruto. They both watched the match intently but the end left one of them very unhappy.

"What the hell kind of finish is that!?" Naruto said exceptionally loud. Luckily the other people around them found his outburst more funny than annoying, with a few audible laughs heard.

"What's the problem?" Haku asked.

"That idiot never learns. Every match he loses is because he tries some stylish shit off the top rope and ends up getting knocked off or misses. You'd think he'd learn after the second or third time that happened. Plus the other guy didn't even hit his finisher. He just laid over the other guy's body after he missed."

"Naruto, It's just wrestling. Do you really have to analyze it like that?"

"Haku... You just don't get it do you?"

"No I don't get it."

With a childish pout Naruto stood up, intending to leave.

"I'm going to my room." He said, mumbling something about "annoying casuals" as he left.

On his way to his room he met up with his clone who told him about the privacy seal in Nathair's room. Even more suspicious than he was earlier, Naruto created some more clones to hide out in the hallway and keep an eye on Nathair. He entered his room two doors down from Nathair and thought about how to pass the time.

 ** _"Ya know, now might be a good time to put the finishing touches on that project you were working on."_**

 _"Good idea. I already finished mine and Haku's. I just need to do some minor touch ups on the other three."_

 ** _"Have you decided who to give them to yet?"_**

 _"Probably Dosu and his gang. Karui got mad when I suggested it to her and Omoi didn't want to do it because his little brother said it was lame."_

 ** _"Their loss."_**

Naruto worked on this mystery project for a few hours until he felt like taking a break. It was around nightfall but it was still early so Naruto decided to head out and grab a bite to eat. As luck would have it the elevator was experiencing some technical difficulties and he had to take the stairs. Normally Naruto would have just jumped out the window, but he wasn't dealing with the frigid environment outside unless he had too. On his way down the stairs his mind started to wander.

 _"A civilian shouldn't know how to apply privacy seals. Not only that but his chakra signature still feels off to me."_

 ** _"You're gonna drive yourself crazy thinking about it. Applying a seal is infinitely easier than creating one. A civilian could realistically learn how to do it, even with meager, underdeveloped chakra reserves. Don't get me wrong, I don't trust Nathair either, but I think that you're worrying too much."_**

 _"Maybe you're right..."_

As he exited the stairwell at the lobby, he noticed an attractive blond girl arguing with a staff member of the hotel. Apparently she had been giving out coupons for a new ramen restauraunt that had just opened up around the corner and she ducked in here to warm up for a minute before heading back out into the cold. The staff member saw her book of coupons and assumed she was trying to give them out to visitors in the hotel which wasn't allowed. With some choice words for the rude staff member the blond walked out.

 _"A new ramen restaurant? Is that worth going out into the cold for?"_

 ** _"The ramen here was pretty average. It shouldn't be a problem if it's just around the corner."_**

Convinced by his partner, Naruto ran after the blond girl.

"Hey wait! Can I get one of those coupons?" He asked the girl.

She turned around a little surprised and then let out a sigh of relief.

"My samurai in shining armor. I only had one more coupon before I hit my quota. Thanks to you I can head home." She handed Naruto a coupon and offered to lead him to the restaurant. He agreed and the two set off.

She led him around the corner making small talk like asking him where he was from and eventually they passed by an empty storefront.

"That's the biggest storefront in the whole city. It used to be a super fancy clothes store, but the owner got arrested for putting camera's in the woman's changing room."

"What an amateur, getting caught like that." Naruto absentmindedly said before slapping his hand over his mouth.

"What did you just say?" The girl turned around with an angry look on her face.

 _"Shit! Me and my big mouth!"_

"I was just saying... ugh"

"I can't believe you would say something like that. Do you condone such disgusting behavior?"

"Uhh... Well you see..."

"You deserve to be punished." With a swift kick to the side Naruto was sent flying into the empty storefront.

"AAAHHH!" Naruto crashed through the glass doors, his cloak and orange jacket getting cut up in the process and the girl flew in right behind him. She grabbed him by the face and dragged him across the floor before tossing him through another door and down some stairs to the basement. Naruto rolled down the stairs and was able to regain his composure just in time to avoid getting his face stomped into the ground by the angry woman.

"What the fuck?! Why couldn't I sense any malice?"

"An advanced level of chakra suppression technique. It was invented by Madara Uchiha to hide his true feelings of anger and hatred when in the presense of Mito Uzumaki. It comes in handy when dealing with her successor." In a poof of smoke, the young girl disappeared and in her place stood someone Naruto could have gone his whole life without seeing again.

"Shishio Gato!?"

"In the flesh. I hope you've been keeping up with your training. I don't want this encounter to be as one sided as our last." Shishio brandished Zabuza's great-sword at Naruto. Naruto responded in kind by pulling out two of his own kunai.

"I've polished my blade work in the last three years. I won't be as easy to defeat as I was before."

"Do you truly think you can defeat me with mere kunai?"

With a smile, Naruto charged his twin kunai with a surge of his wind chakra. Two white blades formed from them and to emphasize their power Naruto jammed them through the ground piercing the solid concrete under foot.

"HAHAHAHA! Excellent. Now show me more! Show me the legacy left behind by the worlds fastest man!"

"What!?"

Naruto had no time to ponder the revelation that Shishio knew the identity of his father. With a show of speed unbecoming of such a giant man, Shishio closed the distance and tried to cleave Naruto in half with a single blow.

Thanks to a burst of Kurama's chakra covering him in a golden cloak, Naruto was able to deflect Shishio's initial strike and counterattack with a stab that Shishio was able to dodge. Naruto continued his offense with a passion but Shishio blocked every single strike, though not without great effort.

 _"He has improved. I'm going to need to step it up."_ Shishio thought as he clashed blades with Naruto. Taking a page from Naruto's book, Shishio unsheathed one of the katanas strapped to his waste and began dual wielding his swords. Amazingly he was able to swing Zabuza's sword with one hand easily. He performed a horizontal slash that Naruto avoided by jumping back but Naruto was caught off guard when a wave of chakra flowed through Shishio's katana and struck Naruto in the stomach. It tore up his clothes and pushed him back until he was up against the wall.

 ** _"That might have been the end of you had my chakra cloak not softened the blow."_**

 _"Two swords aren't cutting it. We're going to have to try nine tailed sword style."_

 ** _"That pun sucked but I hear you!"_**

Naruto jumped off the wall and started spiraling toward Shishio. In midair he grabbed one of his pouches of kunai and opened it spilling out the nine kunai inside. Now it was Kurama's turn to get involved as nine chakra tails formed and each grabbed a kunai. Each tail channeled a little wind chakra through the kunai and formed nine more wind swords.

"Nine tails hurricane!" Naruto called out. Shishio was just able to pull up Zabuza's great sword and block the attack. Naruto hammered the blade with a relentless barrage of strikes, intending to break it. Realizing this, Shishio pumped his chakra into the blade to strengthen it. Naruto couldn't break the blade but he was able to do considerable damage to it. Shishio eventually gave up on preserving the sword and stabbed through it with his katana, shattering the blade and almost running through Naruto.

Naruto stopped spinning just in time to avoid being stabbed by Shishio's katana but he ate a front kick straight to the face for his trouble. He was sent rolling across the floor but regained his footing quickly.

"You're lucky that you're worth so much alive rather than dead. Normally I would do everything in my power to end someone who damaged one of my blades." Shishio threatened as he tossed the remainder of the great-sword on the ground and unsheathed his other katana.

"That sword doesn't belong to you. It belongs to my friend and I'm taking it back!"

"If you have the power to do so then do it!"

Naruto and Shishio ran at each other and clashed blades once more.

Not far from the current fight Some familiar faces were checking into the same hotel that Naruto and Haku had.

"Here are your keys sir. I hope you and your guests enjoy your stay." The hotel receptionist politely bowed to the fire lord who thanked him. He handed Sasuke and TenTen their keys.

"Before we turn in for the night, I have a request for one of you. There is a nearby store that sells some of the highest quality drinks in the entire world. If you show them this card of mine they'll sell you some booze from their V.I.P reserves. Would one of you please go pick up a bottle of sake for me? They're open twenty four hours a day so don't worry about the time."

TenTen wanted to use the excuse to go back out into the snow but Sasuke beat her to it.

"I'll go." He said. TenTen shot him an evil eye but Sasuke ignored her.

"Thank you, young master Uchiha. Here's some money. The store owner is a good friend of mine so tell him to keep the change. Oh, and please be quick about it." Sasuke nodded and left, TenTen trying to glare a hole through his head the entire time.

 _"Douchebag!"_ She thought. Now she had to babysit the lord of fire all by herself.

"Come miss TenTen, I happen to know that this hotel has a fabulous little bar and restaurant in it."

With an angry pout that went unnoticed by the lord, TenTen followed him.

In said restaurant, Haku was just finishing up his dinner for the night when he noticed someone at his side. He turned to see Lord Nathair.

"May I join you?" He politely asked.

"Of course sir."

Nathair sat down and was promptly asked by a nearby waitress if he wanted anything. He ordered a glass of water and nothing else.

"Haku, may I ask you something?"

"Yes sir. What is on your mind?"

"Naruto doesn't seem to like me very much. Do you have any idea why?"

"... It's not that he doesn't like you. Naruto is very big on first impressions. I don't think you made a good one on him is all."

"What did I do to offend him the first time we met?"

"Honestly, he was kind of jealous of how much attention you were getting from some of the women." Haku lied. Nathair didn't need to know that Naruto got a funny feeling from the man's chakra.

"That's all?"

"Yeah. Naruto can be a bit of a ladies man at times and he doesn't like it when the attention of the women is off of him." Haku hoped his lies were working. Nathair seemed to be fooled but it was hard for Haku to get a read on him.

"Hmm... Thank you for your honesty Haku. I think I have an idea of how to smooth things over with Naruto now." Nathair left just as quickly as he arrived after downing his glass of water that the waitress had brought over during their conversation. Haku finished the few bites he still had of his dinner and prepared to leave.

 _"I guess I should head to my room and get some sleep."_ Haku thought.

"I hope the food is better here than on that train." Haku turned around at the sound of the feminine voice. He saw an attractive leaf kunoichi with a cute bun style haircut and the lord of the land of fire being sat at a nearby table.

 _"That girl is really cute. Maybe I can stay here a little while longer."_ Haku thought, staring a bit.

TenTen noticed the person staring at her and she got a bit of a blush.

 _"That beautiful girl is staring at me. I wonder if she thinks that I'm cute? God, I sound like Hinata right now."_

Ever since the last time Kakashi punished him for misconduct on a mission, Sasuke had become much better at following orders. He followed every one to the letter which meant he had every intention of being as fast as possible getting the feudal lords sake. Normally nothing would have stopped him from doing just that but today as he raced through the snow, he caught a glimpse of orange in the corner of his eye. The unusual color clashing with the nearby snow wasn't all that had Sasuke suspicious. The piece of orange fabric was dangling from a piece of broken glass and under it was a torn up winter cloak.

 _"This part of town is made up entirely of storefronts that are closed at this hour. Not a terrible place for an ambush if someone didn't want to draw civilian attention."_

Sasuke was always one to trust his instincts so he removed his cumbersome winter cloak and prepared to enter the building. He pulled out a storage scroll and retrieved his bow from it. The red and black bow matched with his black shirt and black combat pants. The Uchiha insignia still covered his back of course and he also wore a black wrist guard on his left arm that had a red seal on it. With one fluid motion, Sasuke pulled his bowstring back and an arrow materialized ready to shoot. He carefully entered the building to see what was happening.

Naruto and Shishio had been fighting for a while now and it showed. Shishio's Akatsuki cloak was all torn up revealing his muscular body, covered in battle scars from past encounters. Naruto was in a similar condition with small cuts all over his arms and legs. Although they were rapidly healing they still stung like a bitch. Shishio had been forced to fight much more methodically due to the assistance of Kurama's tails. He was currently keeping his distance trying to bait Naruto into coming at him. Naruto wasn't biting.

 _"This guy's definitely become even more powerful than he was three years ago. Even big sis has a hard time keeping up with me when I use the nine tails sword style."_

 ** _"Either he was holding back three years ago or he underwent some intense training."_**

 _"Either way, We need to think of a way to end this battle soon. He's deliberately cutting up my arms and legs. They won't be able to take too much more punishment, even with my healing."_

Naruto was snapped out of his inner monologue when Shishio charged at him again. Naruto prepared to defend himself but he didn't have to. Shishio stopped halfway to him and turned around to deflect an arrow aimed for his back.

"What the hell are you doing Naruto!? Until I've beaten you in a fight, you don't have my permission to die!"

Sasuke stood at the foot of the stairs with his bow ready to fire straight at Shishio's head.

"Sasuke!? Oh my god, I love you so much right now!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Sasuke?" Shishio questioned.

"That's right. Sasuke Uchiha. If you don't want to see what the sharingan is capable of then I suggest you leave. That idiot is under my protection until I prove my superiority to him!"

"Don't lie! You're standing up for me because we're friends!"

"We aren't friends! We're rivals and nothing more!"

"Don't be afraid of your feelings! You love me too! Admit it!"

"I most certainly do not love you!"

Shishio ignored the friendly banter between the two and instead focused on Sasuke's face. It was an almost perfect match for his colleague Itachi.

"So you're Itachi's brother then?" Shishio asked.

Sasuke's eyes went wide for a second before his sharingan flared up.

"What do you know about my brother?" Sasuke asked with a rage in his voice.

"I know where he is for starters." Shishio answered.

"WHERE!?" Sasuke screamed.

"Help me defeat Naruto and I'll tell you." Shishio offered.

Sasuke quickly shifted his aim to Naruto.

"Wait, Sasuke don't!" Naruto was cut off when an arrow pierced his shoulder and he fell to the ground.

"P-P-Poison?" Naruto stuttered out before he fell unconscious and his chakra cloak subsided.

Sasuke prepared another arrow and aimed it right at Shishio.

"I held up my end of the bargain. Now where's my brother?"

"...Do you really think you could fool me with such a basic genjutsu?"

Sasuke let his arrow loose and Shishio blocked it with one of his katanas. The other one blocked an attack from Naruto who appeared out of thin air as Shishio dispelled the genjutsu. Naruto's nine tails each took a swing at Shishio who managed to block most of them. He may have been fast enough to block that but he wasn't fast enough to block Sasuke at the same time. Every time he blocked Naruto, Shishio was stuck with another arrow by Sasuke.

"STOP! I YIELD!" Shishio yelled as he fell to his knees when the ninth arrow struck him.

"Don't listen to him! He's got some sort of escape plan, I know it." Naruto remembered how Shishio tricked Zabuza. He wasn't about to let that happen again.

Sasuke got closer to Shishio who was still on his knees.

"Where's my brother? Do you really know where he is?" He repeated his question from before.

"Yes. You're brother Itachi is currently working with a man named Kisame. Last I heard they were both at an old Uchiha safe house. I don't know what they're doing there or how long they're going to stay."

"How do you know this?"

"Me and Itachi are part of the same organization."

"So you did join the Akatsuki?" Naruto interrupted. He guessed that was what this was about. He remembered that Shishio had a buyer for kurama all those years ago. Of course he had no proof so it was nice to know his theory was correct.

"Yes and don't feel proud about your victory today. I am easily our weakest member. Neither of you would stand any chance against Itachi or his partner as you are now."

"We'll see about that." Sasuke said.

"Hahaha! Do you know why I've told you this Sasuke? It's because your brother would want me to. He wants to finish what he started all those years ago. He means to complete the Uchiha massacre."

"Ask him how it went when you see him in hell!" Sasuke prepared an arrow and aimed it right at Shishio's heart.

"Zetsu! I require assistance!" Shishio yelled. His prayers were answered when Zetsu came through the floor in between Shishio and Sasuke.

"What the hell!?" Naruto and Sasuke both yelled. Sasuke shot at the creatures head with an arrow but it's black side caught it in its hand. Plant like tendrils came out of it's cloak and ensnared Shishio and the remains of Zabuza's sword and dragged them through the floor and to safety.

"You were lucky that Itachi's brother assisted you Jinchuriki!" "Will you be that lucky next time when we send a real powerhouse after you?" The strange creature disappeared through the floor leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone in the abandoned basement.

"What was that all about?" Sasuke asked.

"It's a long story."

"Give me the summarized version."

So on the way to the store to buy the feudal lords sake, Naruto explained to Sasuke about Jinchuriki's and the Akatsuki. He also told him about his past with Shishio and how he tricked him by transforming into an attractive teenage girl.

"Wait... So you mean to tell me that this guy got you with your own trick?" Sasuke asked. Naruto froze in his tracks. He hadn't realized that until Sasuke pointed it out to him.

"... Can you give me a minute. I have to go into that alley and cry real quick."

"That's twice you've failed to defeat the nine tails jinchuriki Shishio." "You're going to be in big trouble when lord pain finds out!" Zetsu lectured Shishio who was bandaging his wounds up in his mothers house.

"Silence monster! You were watching the entire time but you let Itachi's brother interfere."

"My role in the Akatsuki is surveillance." "I'm much too important to risk in a fight." "In fact no one would have blamed me if I left you there to die."

"Keep talking and Tobi will need to recruit a new member after Hidan."

"Go ahead and try to kill me." "You might be able to but it would draw lord pains wrath."

"Keep tempting me monster."

"At least tell me that the fight wasn't a total loss. Do you think you got a good read on the boys strength?"

"He's strong. If we both came at each other with killing intent I feel like he would win. He could probably defeat Sasori and Deidara too. I believe that he's still not quite at Kakuzu, Tobi, Kisame, Itachi, Konan, or lord Pain's level yet."

"Do you believe that he could be at their level soon?"

"... I believe that he could become the strongest man in the world with enough time."


	55. Chapter 55

ch. 55

"Thank's again for the spare cloak and shirt Sasuke." Naruto thanked as the two approached the hotel, Sasuke's errand done.

"No thanks are necessary. Just don't let yourself get into a situation like that again. As I said before, you aren't allowed to die until I defeat you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Say... Do you mind meeting up again a little later tonight?"

"Why?"

"I just want to talk. Is that cool?"

"Sure. "

So Naruto and Sasuke agreed on meeting up later that night. Naruto and Sasuke entered the restaurant that their comrades were in and without a word. Naruto tapped Haku on his shoulder and motioned with his head to leave. Haku noticed the oddly serious look on Naruto's face and the two left.

 _"Aww!"_ TenTen whined in her mind. She really wanted an opportunity to talk to the pretty girl, but didn't get one before She was dragged away by the oddly familiar man.

 _"Have I seen that guy somewhere before? He kind of reminds me of the guy that beat Lee in the chunin exams three years ago, but that guy didn't have such ugly facial hair."_

Back in their hotel room, Naruto was filling Haku in on what had just happened.

"So, it looks like the Akatsuki are much bolder than we originally anticipated. I'm glad you managed all right. Three years ago we were no match for Shishio."

"Yeah, I got the feeling that he was even stronger now than he was back then. Even worse is that he claimed to be the weakest member of the Akatsuki. I can't imagine how strong the others are."

"You said that he mentioned another pair when the Uchiha intervened. Who was the other Uchiha's partner?"

"He said his name was Kisame."

"Kisame!?" Haku looked as though he had seen a ghost, he went pale with fear. Naruto had never seen him react like that before.

"Naruto, you need to promise me that you won't try to fight Kisame!"

"What? Why?"

"Because you can't beat him! Kisame is one of the deadliest swordsmen to ever live. Not only that but his chakra reserves rival a jinchuriki and his sword Samehada can render your powers useless! Promise me that you'll run if you meet him."

"Okay... I won't fight Kisame. If he's strong enough to make you sweat like that then he must be dangerous."

"Dangerous is an understatement. That man is a monster if I ever saw one." Haku sat on his bed and sighed a deep sigh.

"I should probably tell you that Nathair came to talk to me earlier. He's noticed that you've been suspicious of him since you've met and he asked me why. I lied to him and told him you were jealous of the female attention he was getting at the banquet that night."

"Good thinking. I'm a known pervert so it's a believable lie. Hehe, I wonder if anyone's told him any stories." Naruto said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Like the time you got caught transformed as a toad in the female hot spring and got punted out by Karui?"

"Haha! Yeah, that day was awesome! That was the day I caught a glimpse of Samui's legendary boobs."

"Her brother was so mad at you! I remember he chased you around for over an hour when he found out."

Conversation went like that for awhile. The two friends stayed up talking for hours as they had done almost every night since becoming roommates. Like always, Haku was the first to drift off to sleep. Right on time for Naruto to go see Sasuke as he had promised to do earlier. They met outside of Sasuke's room that he shared with the feudal lord. Sasuke stood by the door, holding it just open enough so that he could keep an eye inside.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"What about your client?"

"He sleeps with ear plugs. If you ever met his wife you'd know why."

"Okay, I wanted to talk to you about two things. The first is a favor. I noticed that seal you used to load your bow. Jiraiya's work, right?"

"Yeah, I commissioned him for it. He gave me a discount since I'm the student of a friend of his."

"Could you deliver a message to him for me?"

"What's the message?"

"Tell him that his godson needs more training."

"Godson?"

"Yeah... It's a long story. The other thing was that I wanted to ask you what you intend to do about your brother?"

"Don't try and convince me not to go after him."

"I'd be a bad friend if I didn't. You realize that you can't beat him right?"

"I know that my brother is a greater ninja than me. He's faster, stronger, more experienced, and his skill in genjutsu is unmatched."

"Then why would you throw your life away by fighting him?"

"Because even though he outclasses me in every possible way, I have one advantage in the fight. That one advantage is going to be all I'll need."

"What advantage is that?"

"My friends."

"Huh?" That was the last thing Naruto expected Sasuke to say.

"I've learned a lot in the past three years, thanks in part to the loss you handed me. You made me double my training efforts which made me stronger but still not strong enough as our second encounter showed. After hearing about how you defeated Gaara I did some research and discovered that you were a jinchuriki."

"So that's why you weren't surprised when I mentioned it earlier."

"At first I was livid. I arrogantly thought that the only reason you won was because you cheated and had the aid of your beast. I continued my research and discovered that when a jinchuriki uses the chakra of their beast, it manifests as a red color instead of the usual blue. You hadn't been aided by the beast after all."

"I wanted to pass or fail the exam with my own strength."

"I thought to myself, "How could he have beaten me without the aid of the demon inside of him?" Then I found the answer. Historically, jinchuriki who foster a bond of friendship with the tailed beast become the most powerful. Friendship... My first day as a genin, my sensei emphasized the power of teamwork and I finally understood why. Even with out it's chakra, the bond of friendship you have with the beast gives you strength. I had always done everything alone, thinking myself better than everyone else but if I could become even stronger by developing bonds of friendship then... Maybe I could defeat my brother after all. That is why I won't fail. I've developed unbreakable bonds of friendship in the past three years that I believe will be the key to defeating my brother and avenging my clan."

"You're talking about that pink haired girl aren't you?" Naruto teased with a smile.

" Her name is Sakura and yes... We've developed a strong bond."

"Is it the kind of bond where you sneak into her room at night when her parent's are asleep?"

"Actually she's the one who sneaks into my room at..." Sasuke caught himself but he had already said too much.

With a smile, Naruto patted Sasuke on the shoulder and declared " I'm proud of you."

"Are we done yet?" Sasuke said with a blush.

"Yeah we're done. Good talk Sasuke. Treat that woman of yours right." With a wave Naruto turned around and left.

Sasuke was about to go back inside but TenTen came out of the door next to his rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Who were you talking with?" She puncuated her question with a yawn.

"Just an old friend. Go back to sleep."

Back in the leaf village, Anko had finally returned home from her encounter with Tadakatsu that left her squad wiped out. Protocol required her to make a report to the sorry workers who pulled graveyard shift at the hokage's tower but Anko was much too tired to care. Yeah, she'd be chewed out by Tsunade but that was a small price to pay in her mind.

When she entered her apartment she gave it a quick once over to see how well Hinata had taken care of it. She wasn't surprised to find it in much better condition than when she had left it.

 _"Once again I come back to a spotless apartment. I should do something nice for Hinata for being such a good house sitter."_

Anko made her way over to her bedroom and without turning on the lights she jumped face first at where her bed should have been. The bed was in fact still in the exact same place, but since Anko hadn't turned the lights on she failed to notice the human sized lump under the sheets and crashed straight into it.

"OW!" Hinata squealed as she pushed Anko to the floor and flicked the lamp next to the bed on.

"The fuck are you doing in my bed?" Anko whined as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Daddy doesn't approve of television so I have to come here to watch my shows. Tonight there was a marathon so I slept over."

"A likely story."

"You don't believe me? When have I ever lied to you?"

"Never, but there's a first time for everything." Anko pulled the sheets off of the bed revealing Hinata in a set of pajama's with some cartoon character on it that Anko didn't recognize.

"How old are you again? Never mind that's not important." Anko started inspecting the bed for something. Confused, Hinata questioned and received the answer "I'm looking for sex stains."

"WHAT!?" Hinata squealed in embarrassment.

"Nothing on the bed, but I've known some people who can clean up with out a trace in almost no time."

"I didn't have sex with anybody! Why would you even assume I would?"

"Because no one who reads Icha Icha isn't secretly a pervert."

"I'm not." Hinata pouted and folded her arms in a way that failed to express her anger and instead came off as rather cute and childish.

"Hmm... It looks like you're telling the truth... UNLESS HE'S UNDER THE BED!" Anko dramatically rolled off the bed and checked underneath but saw nothing.

"Not under the bed huh? Then I guess he's IN THE BATHROOM!" Anko made a beeline for the bathroom and kicked the door in, only to once again find nothing.

"Well shit, I guess you really were telling the truth." Anko made a beeline for the window this time, choosing not to foolishly declare where she was searching for once. She opened the window and scanned the area, finding nothing for the third time.

"Okay I'm done. You can stay if you want, I'm too tired to kick you out." Anko started undressing in front of Hinata which didn't bother her until Anko's bra came off.

"What are you doing?" Hinata questioned in an embarrassed state while turning her head to avoid the shameless sight.

"I like to sleep naked. Didn't I ever tell you that?"

"No you didn't!" Hinata got up and stormed toward Anko's couch. "I'll sleep in the living room."

"You're loss. My pillows are way softer than the ones on that old couch."

"Shameless."

"I didn't mean that as a boob joke."

"You're still shameless."

Hinata laid her head down on the couch pillow and managed to drift off to sleep. As she slept she started having the strangest dream. She was walking through a busy area of the village wearing her usual baggy jacket, something she would do a lot in her normal day to day life. What made this dream strange was all of the other people walking around. They were naked.

Hinata's face was naturally burning red at having to see so many strangers in the buff but she continued to walk through the village regardless. Eventually she noticed that a lot of the people she was passing were staring at her. A lot of them looked disgusted at her for some reason. As if she was somehow the indecent one in this situation. She soldiered forward ignoring the stares of the naked villagers until she bumped into Anko. Like everyone else Anko was naked but folded over her arm was her usual outfit. She winked at Hinata and started dressing in the middle of the street. All of the naked villagers stopped and stared at the sight of Anko's public dressing. When she was done she threw one arm around Hinata and with the other arm pointed a middle finger straight in the air.

"You wanna stare? Stare at this motherfuckers!" Anko declared to the village. Hinata was overcome with joy at finally having someone who didn't look at her with such disgust. Hinata happily threw one arm around Anko as well and threw her own middle finger in the sky.

"Yeah! Stare at this! You have no right to judge us!" Hinata declared with confidence. The crowd suddenly started clapping and Hinata looked at Anko and smiled.

"Thank you Anko."

"Don't mention it kid. I know that you'd do the same for me. Hey since this is a dream don't you find it weird that you know who hasn't shown up?"

"You mean Naru" Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as Naruto came flying through a building riding the nine tailed fox wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hinata! You won't believe what I convinced old man Ichiraku to do! He filled a hot spring full of ramen! Let's go before some assholes eat it all!" He scooped Hinata up and carried her off into the sunset.

Hinata woke the next morning when she heard Anko loudly searching her kitchen for any kind of breakfast food. Anko walked into the living room with an almost empty jug of milk and sat down next to Hinata. Hinata noted that Anko had the courtesy to put some clothes back on before coming out and talking to her.

"Morning." Anko greeted as she turned the t.v on and started flipping through channels.

"Good morning... Anko can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead." Anko answered before chugging the small amount of milk left in the jug.

"If I was caught in the middle of the village in an embarrassing situation what would you do?"

"What kind of silly question is that? I'd do whatever I could to help you."

"You would wouldn't you? You'd do it in your own special Anko way."

"What's got you acting so weird this morning?"

"I had a dream."

"A sex dream?"

"No. The kind of dream that helps you learn something. This dream showed me that despite how shameless you act, you're a good friend." Hinata hugged Anko which made the older woman uncharacteristically embarrassed.

"Uh... Thanks. I'm not sure what I did to deserve that but thank you. Lord knows I needed it after what happened on my mission."

"What happened on the mission?"

"We finally found the target. The bastard got the drop on us and he wiped out my team. I managed to hold my own against him but he got some reinforcements and I decided not to try my luck."

"I'm so sorry. At least you made it back safely. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."

"You'd probably break down and make a teary eyed declaration of love in front of my grave."

"Anko!"

"I'm sorry my sweet Hyuga princess, but you are royalty and I am a lowly commoner! Your father would never bless the marriage." Anko stood up dramatically and struck a pose straight out of a bad stage play.

"I must go now, as my heart can not take the pain of looking into your majestic eyes knowing that we can never be together."

In a rare instance of Hinata playing along with Anko's silly games she too struck a dramatic pose.

"My love! I can't imagine life without you! If it means being with my beloved I would gladly forsake my heritage and live a life as a lowly peasant!"

"Alas! I could never ask you to make such a sacrifice for me! Please forget about us and marry a man who suits your royal status. All I ask is that the man be well endowed so that he can fully satisfy my beloved Hyuga princess in bed."

"That's taking it too far Anko."

"Party pooper. Oh well, I should probably be heading to the boob ladies office anyway. I didn't file a report when I got in last night."

"Again Anko? Tsunade is going to punch you across the village one of these days. I've already seen her do it to Lord Jiraiya."

"I think I'll be alright. She should be used to me pulling that kind of thing by now."

Across the village Tsunade was just arriving at her office when a night guard informed her that Anko had once again returned to the village in the dead of night and neglected to turn in a report. This marked the third time that Anko had chosen sleep over protocol. Such a record called for Tsunade to put her foot up Anko's ass. A job that Tsunade was reluctant to perform today as she had just had her toe nails painted but she knew it had to be done. Truly the life of a kage was a stressful one.

Later that morning in the land of iron, the meeting between the five feudal lords was underway. Mifune, the leader of the land of iron and go to negotiator for many a political dealing was going over the topics that they were scheduled to discuss that day. Meanwhile Naruto and Haku stood flanking Nathair as they sized up the other lords bodyguards.

Naruto didn't recognize the wind lords bodyguards but he was curious how Gaara was doing so he planned on asking them after the meeting. There were rumors that Gaara was the top pick for the still vacant title of kazekage and Naruto wanted to see if the rumors were true.

Naruto looked over to the lord of earths bodyguards and noticed that one of them was shooting an intense death glare at him.

 _"That girl does not like me."_

 ** _"An understatement. That girl wants to rip your spine out and jump rope with it."_**

 _"Did I peek on her in a hot spring and just don't remember it?"_

 ** _"No. I've memorized every girl we've ever seen naked. She's not one of them."_**

 _"You've what? How many girls is that?"_

 ** _"I lost count a few years ago."_**

 _"Do we... Have a problem?"_

 ** _"I don't see how a healthy curiosity for the opposite sex is a problem."_**

 _"Oh my god you're enabling me."_

 ** _"I'm surprised you know what enabling is."_**

 _"Fuck you, I read smart books sometimes... At least once a year."_

 ** _"You read action manga and hentai doujins. The last legitimate book I can recall you reading was a god damn anatomy text book."_**

While Naruto and Kurama killed time with their inner dialogue, Haku was sizing up the lord of water's bodyguards.

On the lords right was Chojuro, the only remaining member of what was once the seven swordsman of the mist. He was a young boy with a meek demeanor but Haku knew better than to draw conclusions simply from appearances. You don't get entrusted with one of the legendary seven swords without considerable skill. On the lords left was someone who Haku personally recognized from his time in the mist village

 _"This political bullshit is so boring! Why the fuck did I ever let that floozy convince me to come back? I could be out finding one of the lost swords but instead I'm standing here watching wealthy assholes talk how about they can make themselves richer."_ Suigetsu mentally ranted.

 _"Suigetsu doesn't seem to recognize me. I hope the idiot doesn't confuse me for a girl and try to flirt with me again."_

The meeting lasted nearly the entire day and the sun was already beginning to set by the time everyone left the meeting room. Naruto was about to walk over to the sand ninja escorting the wind lord to ask them about Gaara when Nathair cut him off.

"Naruto, would you mind coming with me to my room back at the hotel? I've got something important to discuss with you."

Naruto reluctantly nodded his head and followed Nathair, knowing that he couldn't really refuse a request from his client and lord. Haku followed them back to the hotel. As the trio left the same stone kunoichi that had been glaring at Naruto started to follow them before her partner cut her off.

"What are you thinking Kurotsuchi? Our job is to protect the feudal lord."

"You have to realize that was him right? The son of the yellow devil that butchered our kinsmen."

"Even if it is, your grandfather made it clear that no one is to engage him in combat until we know more about him. Running at him blind and tipping him off that we know who he is won't avenge our fallen comrades."

"All the more reason for me to tail him to see if I can learn anything about him. I've mastered the chakra suppression technique just for this kind of situation so don't worry about him realizing that I'm there."

"If you want to prove yourself to your grandfather this isn't the way."

"What the hell do you know? Just shut up and guard the lord of earth. Tell him that I went to go make sure our travel arrangements were all good or something. I'll meet you guys at the train station in a few hours."

"As you wish honorable grand daughter."

 _"Ass kisser."_ Kurotsuchi thought as she tailed Naruto. She was more than just the Tsuchikage's grand daughter and she was willing to do anything to prove it.

"Go and enjoy yourself for awhile Haku. Me and Naruto have personal matters to discuss." Nathair ordered when they finally arrived at the hotel.

Haku was reluctant to leave Naruto alone with Nathair but Naruto gave him a look that said it was okay. Defeated, Haku turned around and saw the leaf kunoichi that had caught his eye earlier heading to the bar.

 _"It's worth a shot."_ Haku thought, following her.

Naruto followed Nathair up to his room. Nathair turned the lights on and motioned for Naruto to sit on a couch in the middle of the room. Naruto noticed the privacy seal on the door as he sat down. Nathair walked over to a mini bar set up in his room and started mixing a drink for himself.

"I've noticed that you don't seem to like me Naruto."

"Where'd you get that idea from?"

"You're an easy person to read. The reason I asked you up here was to ask you why you don't like me. Did I do something to offend you?"

"Look it's not anything you did... At that party where we met you were getting a lot of attention from girls and I was getting a little jealous is all. I know it's stupid but"

"HAHAHAHA! That's the same lie Haku told me. He must have told you about our talk last night."

"It's not a lie sir."

Nathair finished preparing his drink and stood next to Naruto.

"I wanna tell you a story Naruto. Have you ever heard of Madara Uchiha?"

"Yeah... He was the man the first hokage fought at the valley of the end."

"Madara Uchiha was a true genius in the art of ninjutsu. The only man in history to have created more jutsu was the second hokage. One of Madara's favorite techniques was chakra suppression. An ability that when mastered allowed one to hide their chakra from sensory types."

"But he didn't stop there did he?" Naruto interrupted.

"Correct. He pushed it even further and developed a technique that can manipulate what sensory types perceived of your chakra instead of hiding it from them entirely. Not even the infamous Mito Uzumaki could see through him."

"So... Are you telling me that the reason your chakra feels off to me is because your using that technique?"

"I'm... Trying to use the technique. You see, this technique requires an incredible amount of focus, above even some of the most veteran ninja."

"So you aren't good enough to use the technique flawlessly?"

"Oh it's not that. It's just... Do you have any idea how hard it is... To look at that idiotic face... AND KEEP CALM!?" Nathair suddenly smashed his drink into the ground sending shards of glass everywhere. Naruto shot from his seat and took out a kunai to defend himself.

"Do you have any idea how much I despise you? It takes every single shred of self control in my body not to tear you to pieces even now. I want to kill you but you haven't suffered nearly enough for my liking. I had planned to do this much later but you caught on to me sooner than I thought you would. My plan is still salvageable at least. You were even kind enough to bring the witness I needed."

"What the hell are you talking about? Who are you!?"

With a snap of Nathair's fingers the privacy seal on the door disappeared and he took out a kunai hidden in his robes. Naruto got ready to defend himself but he didn't need to. Nathair turned his kunai on himself.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Nathair screamed as his own kunai pierced his shoulder. Naruto watched stunned.

Outside the door the stone kunoichi Kurotsuchi was trying to listen in on whatever Naruto and Nathair were talking about.

 _"Why can't I hear anything?"_

Kurotsuchi was taken out of her thoughts by an ear piercing scream on the other side of the door. Acting on instinct she kicked the door down and saw the feudal lord of lightning with a kunai stuck in his shoulder and the son of the yellow devil standing over him.

"PLEASE SAVE ME FROM THIS ASSASSIN!" The lord pleaded.

Kurotsuchi was happy to oblige. She ran straight at Naruto who dropped his weapon and tried in vain to reason with her.

"Hold on you got the wrong idea!" He managed to say before Kurotsuchi drop kicked Naruto straight in the chest sending him flying through the window.

Naturally Nathair's room was near the top so in order to prevent himself from becoming a red smear on the street Naruto sent a chakra chain into the side of the building and managed to swing himself to the wall where he could stick with chakra. Naruto had no time to rest though because Kurotsuchi was on him instantly with a punch to the head. The two started fighting on the side of the building drawing attention from the hotel customers who could hear their battle.

Naruto caught Kurotsuchi's fists in his hands and tried to explain the situation to her.

"It wasn't what it looked like! He stabbed himself to set me up!"

"I'm not easily fooled assassin!" Kurotsuchi pulled her hands free from Naruto's grip and used them to grab him by both ears and pull his face down into a devastating knee.

 _"WHY IS IT ALWAYS MY GOD DAMN EARS!?"_ Naruto internally yelled.

Naruto didn't want to waste time fighting this woman. He was sure that Samurai were already on their way. He had no choice but to run. Blocking a kick from Kurotsuchi, Naruto retaliated with a punch to Kurotsuchi's head that she managed to block but the force of the hit sent her far enough away that Naruto was able to summon a horde of shadow clones.

"Shadow clone jutsu: Hide and seek edition!" The immeasurable mass of clones all ran in different directions. Kurotsuchi managed to catch up to one and dispel it but she was nowhere near fast enough to catch the rest. She decided to check on Nathair instead of going off on an impossible wild goose chase. She was confident that the countries samurai would be able to catch Naruto. Her grandfather spoke highly of them so she knew they were a force to be reckoned with.

Nathair was positively filled with happiness. The first phase of his plan had gone off flawlessly despite the timetable being pushed up. Naruto was now going to be seen as a criminal who had attempted to assassinate a feudal lord. He allowed himself a second to bask in his glory before Kurotsuchi came back. He smiled a despicable smile as his inhumanly long tongue slithered out of his mouth and licked his lips.


	56. Chapter 56

ch. 56

 _"I love this country."_ TenTen thought as she downed a quick shot of some delicious sake. She wasn't a heavy drinker but she had to taste this countries alcohol at least once before leaving. Lucky for her the feudal lord wanted one last taste too. Sasuke watched over him as he took shot after shot on the other side of the bar.

 _"We have an hour before the train leaves. Maybe I can talk to that beautiful girl before then."_ TenTen's prayers were answered when Haku sat on the stool next to her and ordered a shot of the same sake that TenTen had just tried. He took the shot hoping that the liquid courage would help him talk to the beauty next to him. Lucky for Haku the courage wasn't necessary because TenTen broke the ice of her own accord.

"That's good stuff, yeah? This country is famous for making some of the best sake in the world."

"I can tell. This makes the last sake I had taste like dirty dishwater."

"What's your name sexy?" TenTen liked to work fast which took Haku a little by surprise.

"I'm Haku." He blushed reminiscent of a certain Hyuga that TenTen knew well.

"I'm TenTen. So how long is your group going to stay here? Ours is leaving on the next train."

"We were going to leave in the morning. I was hoping we could get to know each other a little before then."

"Get to know each other how exactly? Intimately I hope." TenTen started rubbing one of Haku's legs. Haku started jumping for joy in his mind at his good fortune. Sadly any chance of loving was destroyed when a random civilian came running into the hotel shouting something about ninja fighting on the side of the hotel. Haku didn't need anyone to tell him that it was Naruto. He bolted out of his seat and out the door in time to see Naruto summon an immeasurable mass of clones and run away.

He ran up the side of the hotel and jumped through the destroyed window of Nathair's room. There Nathair was having his injured shoulder patched up by one of the stone shinobi that had been guarding the lord of earth earlier.

"What the hell happened here?!" Haku yelled.

Kurotsuchi pulled out a kunai and was about to attack Haku but Nathair stopped her.

"Why don't you tell me Haku? I invited Naruto up here for a friendly conversation and he attempted to kill me!"

"That's absurd! Naruto would never do such a thing."

"It's true. I was right outside when it happened. I heard lord Nathair cry for help and fought off the assassin." Kurotsuchi claimed.

Suddenly the room was filled with hotel staff and some samurai who came when they heard the commotion. The lord of fire and his guards arrived as well and Nathair gave them his version of what happened. According to him Naruto had attacked him in the middle of an argument and would have killed him had Kurotsuchi not been there to fight Naruto off. The samurai assured him that Naruto would be arrested and offered to take him to a safe place in case Naruto came back for him. Nathair accepted the offer and left with the samurai. People started filing out of the room including Sasuke and TenTen behind the lord of fire.

"What do you make of all this Sasuke?" TenTen whispered in his ear.

"I don't buy it." Sasuke took a small book out of his pocket and handed it to TenTen.

"Page nine."

TenTen opened the bingo book to page nine and found Naruto's entry.

"Let's see, Name: Naruto Uzumaki... He's a jinchuriki whatever that is... One of the last of the dying Uzumaki clan... Recommended to flee on sight... What? Zero confirmed kills? How is that even possible for a chunin?"

"A warrior who doesn't kill his enemies wouldn't try and kill a defenseless man. There's something else at play here."

TenTen sighed deeply.

 _"Of course something crazy has to happen right as I was about to get laid."_

Back in the room, Haku and Kurotsuchi were the last to leave.

"What?" Kurotsuchi sneered at Haku.

"Why were you even here when your lord wasn't?"

"That's none of your concern."

"It is my concern when my best friend is accused of a crime that I know he couldn't possibly have committed. Naruto has never even killed an enemy in the line of duty."

"There's a first time for everything."

"Okay then. Assuming for a moment that Naruto did in fact attack lord Nathair, what could possibly be his motive? The possibility of him getting away with it is basically zero and even if he did the loss of the cloud villages main client would hurt him as well."

"It was obviously a crime of passion. You can't rationalize a crime of passion."

"That's a weak excuse."

"Tell yourself whatever you want. I'm done talking about it." Kurotsuchi turned to leave. On her way to the door she stepped on a piece of broken glass and froze in her tracks. She looked down at the remnants of the drinking glass and realized something.

 _"If this glass broke just now why didn't I hear it? I couldn't hear anything before Nathair's cry for help either."_

"Something wrong?"

"No." Kurotsuchi left with only one thought in her head.

 _"No one plays me for a fool."_

While all of this was happening Naruto was flying through the frozen tundra at top speed.

 _"What the fuck did I tell you?! I knew there was something more to that bastard!"_

 ** _"You're right. We should have been much more cautious. We can reflect on our mistakes later though. Speaking of mistakes, going to the leaf would be one so get that idea out of your head."_**

 _"Why not? We have friends there that would gladly protect us."_

 ** _"It's way too obvious of a place to look. Besides it could potentially give Nathair an excuse to start a war between the cloud and the leaf to get to you."_**

 _"So hiding at another ninja village is out of the question?"_

 ** _"Not necessarily."_**

 _"What do you mean?"_

 ** _"You've always wanted to see your mother's homeland right?"_**

 _"What?!"_ Naruto froze in his tracks and tried to process what Kurama just asked him.

 _"Are you telling me to go to the whirlpool village?"_

 ** _"I intended to take you there sometime already. With us on the run now is as good a time as any. The country is also very safe since the whirlpools make it almost impossible to get there through normal means. It's a good place to plan our next move."_**

 _"How are we supposed to get there if it's impossible to get past the whirlpools?"_

 ** _"I said almost impossible. Mito took regular trips there so I know a secret way to get in without having to deal with the whirlpools."_**

 _"Okay. let's haul ass."_ Naruto took off at top speed again.

 ** _"Wait, I know a way to get us out of this frozen hell and closer to our destination."_**

 _"What are you talking about?"_

 ** _"There's a trick that toad summoners have been known to use. Summon a toad big enough to swallow you and then release the summon while you're inside of him. You'll be taken back with him. From there we should be able to use one of their secret passageways to get really close to the whirlpool village."_**

 _"That's really gross... Fuck it, I'd rather be dirty than cold."_

Naruto performed the summoning jutsu and summoned his old friend Gamakichi. Gamakichi had grown significantly in the last three years and was now much bigger than Naruto.

"What the hell?" Gamakichi looked around at the frozen landscape before turning to Naruto.

"Oh hell no! We toads don't do snow. Sorry Naruto, you're on your own."

"Wait Gamakichi! Open your mouth and let me come inside you before you leave!"

"... How about no?" Gamakichi started slowly backing away from Naruto.

"Not like that Gamakichi. I mean let me crawl in your mouth so that I can come with you back to the mountain." Naruto reassured him after realizing that the way he phrased his first request could be misinterpreted very easily.

"Are you in some trouble or something?"

"Trouble is putting it lightly. Come on there are samurai not too far from here."

Gamakichi wasted no time grabbing Naruto with his tongue and pulling him into his mouth. The summon was released and like Kurama said, Naruto was transported along with Gamakichi back to the mountain that the toads called home. Upon arrival Naruto was unceremoniously spat out and slid across the ground until a giant toad statue stopped his momentum.

"What's this runt doing here?" A loud booming voice that could only belong to one toad sounded out. Naruto looked up and saw the chieftain toad himself, Gamabunta.

"Hey boss. I was in a bit of a pickle and needed some help getting away." Naruto explained to the titan looking down at him.

"I swear to god if you tell me you were being chased by some angry women who caught you peeking I'll fling you off the mountain myself."

"Uhh... No it wasn't that. Has the old pervert done that before?"

"More times than I can count. That's not important right now, why are you here?"

So Naruto explained recent events to Gamabunta and Gamakichi.

"So you honestly have no idea why this man has such a deep hatred for you?" Gamabunta asked.

"No idea. My only other enemy besides Akatsuki is Tadakatsu but he's the kind of guy who'd rather we settle our differences in a straight fight. I don't think it's him."

"Hmm..." Gamabunta looked like he was deep in thought for a minute.

 _"Perhaps the enemy Naruto is facing is one that we thought was already dealt with. Maybe it's time I go have a conversation with that old snake in the grass, Manda. He'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt if Orochimaru is still alive or not. Best not tell the kid what I'm thinking quite yet. No use stirring up painful memories when it's just a theory."_

"What are you thinking pops?" Gamakichi asked, bringing Gamabunta's attention back to reality.

"It's nothing. What are you planning to do now Naruto?"

"Kurama suggested that we head to the ruins of the whirlpool village."

"I see. There aren't many people who can so much as get to the village. It's a good place to hide. We can take you as far as the outskirts of the leaf village but the rest of the journey will be on you."

"That's more than enough help, thanks boss."

"You should stock up on supplies before you set out. Do you have enough money for food and the like?"

"No, but I know someone in the leaf village who should be happy to help me stock up."

Speaking of stocking up, Hinata and her sensei Kurenai were just getting back to Anko's apartment after shopping for groceries for a welcome back dinner between the three. Kurenai had told Hinata that she had a surprise for her and Anko afterward so Hinata was a little excited. When they opened the door they were greeted to the comical sight of Anko face down on her couch with her ass up in the air.

"You were wrong Hinata. The boob lady didn't punch me across the village. She kicked me across the village."

"Oh Anko... For your sake I hope you learned your lesson." Hinata said.

"I think she broke off one of her toenails inside. Please heal me Hinata. I literally had to drag myself up here. I can't even stand up."

"You poor baby." Hinata said as she got to work healing the sore area.

"You're awfully quiet Kurenai."

"I'd be more sympathetic if I hadn't warned you the first time you pulled that shit."

"I'm not in the mood for the judgmental act right now. I learned my lesson the hard way this time."

"I hope so. Hinata finish that up quickly so you can help me in the kitchen." Kurenai walked into the kitchen with the groceries and began cooking. It didn't take Hinata long to have Anko back in good health.

"All done. You should be able to walk now."

Anko stood up and stretched. "Having a medic friend has some perks."

"I hope you really learned your lesson. That was Tsunade holding back by a lot. A full power strike from her would have shattered every bone in your body." Hinata headed toward the kitchen but Anko called out to her.

"Hinata wait, you aren't done yet." Hinata turned to the sight of Anko on all fours, her newly healed ass facing her.

"My butt still hurts a little. Maybe if you kissed it the rest of the pain would go away." Anko swayed her ass back and forth as she taunted her friend.

"... Did I ever tell you about the chakra point in the groin that if blocked renders the body incapable of feeling pleasure? Would you like to see it first hand?"

Anko's face went pale and she stood up holding her hands over her most precious region.

"D-Don't even joke like that."

"If you're done playing around out there I could use a hand Hinata." Kurenai called from the kitchen. Hinata joined her while Anko flipped on her television. She would be no help to either of them when it came to the culinary arts so she decided not to get in their way.

"Say Hinata, were you bluffing just now or is that a real thing?" Kurenai asked as she stirred a pot of stew and Hinata cut up some fresh vegetables.

"It's real. Father has made it perfectly clear that if he catches me or Hanabi with a boy then they should be prepared to deal with an attack to that area."

"Wow... Your father is kind of like mine in that regard."

"What do you mean sensei?"

"He caught me and Asuma kissing in my room one day when we were a lot younger. He put him under a genjutsu as punishment. It must have been bad because to this day Asuma refuses to tell me what he saw."

"You and Asuma have been together that long?"

"Not really. We were together for a long time but when he decided to leave and become one of the twelve guardians we broke up. I dated around for awhile but I never really stopped loving him. He felt the same way about me because after he came back to the village I was the first person he came to see." Kurenai started to blush and her face became dreamy as she remembered that day.

"That day we made love more passionately than we ever had before."

"Shameless."

"And that's the story of why this bitch doesn't look after my place anymore!" Anko yelled from the living room.

"I just happened to be on my way to pick up Anko's mail when he found me." Kurenai explained to the confused Hinata.

"Even more shameless. You only live a few blocks away."

"I don't expect an innocent like you to understand. True passion is something that overrides all rationalization."

"You could literally jump from Anko's roof to yours."

"Give it up Hinata. I've been trying to get an apology out of this bitch for years. She refuses every time."

After that the topic was dropped. Hinata and Kurenai finished dinner and the three friends sat down to eat. They all said their prayers and dug in. Hinata, being the proper lady she was, ate at a snails pace. By the time Anko and Kurenai were done she was barely halfway through with her serving.

"For the love of god Hinata, this isn't one of those stuffy high society dinners your dad forces you to go to. Eat like a normal person!" Anko complained.

"A proper lady isn't gluttonous." Hinata replied.

"You're a teenager and a ninja. You aren't some high society bimbo, even if your dad wants you to act like one."

"Fine... What's that over there?" Hinata pointed behind Anko.

"You mean my wall?" Anko turned around and saw nothing of interest. When she turned back around Hinata's food was gone and Kurenai was looking at her in complete shock.

"The fuck? Did you just down half a bowl of stew in one second?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hinata said innocently.

 _"The rumor that she matched the Akamichi boy in an eating contest suddenly just became a lot less far-fetched."_ Kurenai thought.

"Now that dinner is over, what was the surprise you had for us sensei?"

"Surprise?" Anko asked a little confused.

"Well... I had a doctors appointment today. I've been a little sick lately and wanted to know why... It turns out that I'm pregnant." Kurenai dropped the news on her friends surprisingly calmly. The reaction of her friends was anything but calm.

"PREGNANT!?" Both women yelled simultaneously.

Suddenly Kurenai was grabbed by Anko who started rubbing her head against Kurenai's belly.

"I wanna feel it kick! Is it a boy or a girl? It isn't kicking, is something wrong with it?"

"I'm only a few weeks pregnant Anko. We won't know the gender for awhile and it doesn't even have legs to kick with yet."

"Byakugan!" Hinata yelled as she activated her eyes power to see the developing child.

"It's so cute!" Hinata knelt down and started snuggling up to Kurenai's belly just like Anko.

 _"This seems oddly familiar."_ Kurenai thought, remembering getting a similar reaction from Asuma earlier in the day.

"You're gonna make me the godmother, right Kurenai?" Anko asked.

"Why should you be the godmother?" Hinata asked.

"Because I'm the best friend, therefore I should be the godmother."

"I helped raise my sister and I help deliver my clans children. I'm way more experienced with babies than you. I should be the godmother."

"I'm a jonin and you're just a chunin."

"What does that matter? I've beaten you in spars before."

"What, three times out of ten? I'm still stronger than you and the baby deserves the strongest godmother."

"I'm more mature and my family is the richest in the village."

"Your family is also a bunch of boring assholes! A baby needs fun which she'll get plenty of with me as her godmother."

"I'm fun!"

"Staying up until three in the morning watching a marathon of that dumb horse show isn't fun!"

"First of all, they're ponies. Secondly, A baby needs more than fun. You wouldn't be strict enough."

"Look who's talking. You don't have a strict bone in your body."

"I'm not strict? I'm the one in charge of disciplining my sister."

Hinata and Anko kept arguing back and forth like that for over an hour. Kurenai could have stopped them at anytime by telling them that her and Asuma had already decided that Asuma's brother and his wife should be the babies god parents but she was having way too much fun to do that.

On the outskirts of the village Naruto pulled himself out of the well that connected to mount myoboku. Before he left the mountain he had the toads activate the seal that notified Hinata that a message was waiting for her here, so he hoped she showed up soon. It was getting a bit late so hopefully she hadn't gone to sleep already.

"I should be the godmother." Anko said as she stared Hinata down. The two of them had let go of Kurenai's stomach and stood up, pressing their bodies and noses together in a confrontational show that neither of them was backing down.

"I should be the godmother." Hinata shot back at Anko. They both narrowed their eyes but continued to stare each other down.

"There's only one way to settle this. At dawn we'll have a duel in the forest of death. The winner gets to be the godmother." Anko suggested.

"That's not fair. The forest of death is your playground. No one knows the terrain better than you."

"Where do you suggest we do this then?"

"My clan's compound has a room specifically made for dueling."

"So you can have the home field advantage? Hell no."

Kurenai glanced at Anko's clock and realized that it was getting late. She considered letting the two have their silly duel but decided against it. She stood up and pulled the both of them into a loving embrace.

"I love you two. It means a lot to me that you both want to be my kids godmother so bad, but me and Asuma already decided that his brothers family should take that responsibility."

"WHAT!?" Anko yelled in her ear.

"You could have told us that before we wasted an hour arguing about it sensei!"

"I could have but it wouldn't have been as fun."

"If you weren't pregnant I'd punch you so god damn hard." Anko threatened, the vein in her forehead throbbing.

"I love you too." Kurenai kissed Anko and Hinata each on the cheek and left.

"I should probably be going too. Goodnight Anko."

"Goodnight Hinata."

Hinata left and within a few minutes she arrived home. She passed by her little sister Hanabi on the way to her room.

"Hey sis, I borrowed some genjutsu scrolls from your room. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all sweety. What did you need them for?"

"Neji has been on me lately about being too easily fooled by genjutsu. It's getting really annoying."

"Teehee, shouldn't you refer to him as sensei?"

"Please don't start with that crap too. It's bad enough to have my big brother as my genin squads captain, but his constant nagging about calling him sensei is annoying."

"You should give Neji the proper respect. He's the strongest member of the clan aside from Father."

"Yeah, Yeah. Oh by the way, I noticed some weird glowing thing when I was looking for the genjutsu scrolls. What was that all about?"

 _"Oh no! The one day I don't bring the notification seal out with me is the day Hanabi goes through my room. Gotta think of something quick..."_

"It's a seal that goes off to remind me of something. Today I had it set to remind me to go see Kurenai sensei. I forgot to bring it with me to Anko's so it must have just been sitting there all day." Hinata lied expertly. Hanabi bought it and went to her own room to study the borrowed scrolls. After a quick stop at her room to pick up the forgotten seal she left for the well.

When she arrived she noticed someone sitting behind the well. Their loud snoring made it obvious that the person was asleep. She couldn't see the man's face but his blond spiky hair narrowed the possibilities down considerably.

"Naruto." Hinata said softly, reluctant to believe her eyes. She lightly pinched herself to confirm that this wasn't a dream.

"Naruto!" She called out loudly.

Naruto slumped down and Hinata ran around the well. If he hadn't still been snoring obnoxiously loud then she would have been scared that he was dead.

"No... Get the hell away from my ramen... You Venus fly trap looking motherfucker..." He said as he laid face down in the dirt.

Luckily Hinata was used to dealing with heavy sleepers thanks to being on a team with Kiba. She decided to wake Naruto up the same way she had woken Kiba on many a mission.

"Water style: downpour jutsu." She flashed through hand signs and created a small cloud above Naruto's head. The cloud very quickly began raining heavily on Naruto's head. It was enough to wake him from whatever weird dream he was having.

"AH!" Naruto shot up and started looking around like a crazy person.

"Who,What,When,Where,Why,How!?" He calmed down when he saw Hinata looking at him.

"Hello Naruto." She said with a smile. With a hand sign she dispelled the rain cloud that was still over his head and with another she pulled all of the excess water off of his body and let it flow onto the ground.

Naruto looked over his girlfriend and was amazed at how beautiful she had become in the last three years. Yeah, she had sent him the occasional picture but none of them did her justice. Explaining his situation to her could wait. He needed to kiss those beautiful lips again. He walked over to her and took her by the waist. He leaned into her expecting their lips to meet. He was surprised when his lips met her cheek.

"What?" He said out loud. He tried again to kiss her lips but met her other cheek. His next attempt was met with her chin, and then her forehead.

"What are you doing Hinata?"

"I'm sorry Naruto. I want to kiss your lips as much as you do mine but... Not with that THING on your chin."

Naruto's mouth hung open and his arms went lifeless at his side.

"But... I like the goatee."

"Well I don't. You had the most adorable baby face before. Why would you ruin that by growing facial hair?"

"... I guess I'm gonna have to add shaving cream and razors to the list of stuff for you to get me."

"Stuff to get you? What are you talking about?"

"Baby... Things just got a lot more complicated for us."


	57. Chapter 57

ch. 57

"That's how I got here so quickly. While I was waiting for you I dozed off and that's when you found me." Naruto was just finishing recounting the days events to Hinata.

"So you need me to head into town and get you some supplies for your journey?"

"Yeah. I made a list right here. I promise that I'll pay you back eventually."

"You don't need to worry about money sweetheart. Just worry about clearing your name. I'll be back with everything you need as soon as possible." Hinata took the list and kissed Naruto on the forehead.

"I'll bring something to deal with that thing on your chin too."

"Thanks babe. You're a life saver." After one last embrace Hinata headed into town to get Naruto's supplies.

Naruto stayed behind and started talking to Kurama while they waited for Hinata to get back.

 ** _"We're lucky to have a girl like her. She didn't doubt us for a second."_**

 _"Well, our story about being framed does have the advantage of being true."_

 ** _"Still, it speaks volumes about her true feelings for you."_**

 _"I know. I wish I could give her the relationship she deserves."_

 ** _"It'll all work out, I promise."_**

 _"I hope that you're right. Hey Kurama, while we're waiting can you tell me more about the whirlpool village?"_

 ** _"A more accurate name would have been whirlpool city. The population density was much higher than any other ninja village due to the Uzumaki clans longevity. It didn't help that it was built on a relatively small island. The buildings were huge and not very far apart giving the streets a claustrophobic feel if you weren't used to it."_**

 _"That sounds terrible."_

 ** _"You only say that because you're used to spread out villages with smaller buildings. The people there liked everything being close. It fostered a strong sense of community. Practically everyone who lived there knew everyone, which is impressive when you factor in just how many people lived there."_**

 _"So the entire village was like one big family?"_

 ** _"I guess you could say it like that, although it wouldn't be a very traditional family given how they all..."_**

 _"How they all what?"_

 ** _"How do I put this respectfully? In the whirlpool village... Everybody fucked everybody."_**

 _"WHAT!?"_

 ** _"You have to understand Naruto, it was a different time back then. There was no such thing as sexually transmitted diseases and reproduction was pushed by the village leaders to bolster the ninja ranks. Add on to that the strong sense of community and the Uzumaki clans notorious reputation for falling in love easily and you have a perfect storm of factors that lead to the horniest village in the ninja world."_**

 _"I want this conversation to be over now please."_

 ** _"This is an important aspect of your clans history and culture. You need to listen to this. I wasn't always such a dirty minded fox. Mito and your mother made me this way."_**

 _"For the love of god please just stop."_

 ** _"You're mother and father reenacted the scenes from Jiraiya's books all the time and don't even get me started on Mito. I swear, every week Hashirama had to form a new bed frame using his wood style because Mito broke the old one when she was riding him."_**

 _"Fuck this."_

In his mindscape Naruto's hand started glowing blue and he held it up to Kurama who visibly flinched.

 ** _"That's not funny."_**

 _"Neither are you. I'll set you free when we leave."_

Suddenly a bunch of giant red gates appeared above Kurama's head and other limbs and stuck him to the floor.

 ** _"NARUTO! THIS ISN'T FUNNY NARUTO! QUIT PLAYING!"_**

 _"You should use this time to think about what you've done."_

 ** _"OH, HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT, NOW COME ON! LET ME GO! I PROMISE I WON'T MESS WITH YOU ANYMORE!"_**

Naruto ignored Kurama and began fading away, signaling that he was leaving the mindscape.

 ** _"ARE YOU REALLY GONNA DO ME LIKE THAT NARUTO!? AT LEAST COME GET ME IF HINATA LETS YOU FUCK HER BEFORE WE LEAVE!"_**

As Naruto faded completely from Kurama's view he flipped up his middle finger in one final angry gesture.

 ** _"WELL FUCK YOU TOO THEN!"_** Kurama roared to no avail.

Naruto opened his eyes in the real world and as he thought restoring the seal between him and Kurama to full strength made it impossible to hear Kurama outside of his mindscape.

 _"That should teach him to mess with me like that. He knows I hate it when he talks about mom and dad's sex life... But now I have no one to talk with while I wait for Hinata."_ Naruto hung his head low and sat down preparing for a boring wait.

Meanwhile, Hinata had already gotten a few supplies for Naruto and was now entering a small convenience store to get him the razors and shaving cream he would need to make him kissable to Hinata again. When she got in she noticed Ino standing at the counter in an almost skin tight purple dress that barely covered her matching purple panties.

"Ino?"

"Huh? OH... Hi Hinata." Ino got a little flustered seeing her friend. Hinata had a feeling she knew why.

"Do you have a date tonight?"

"What gave you that idea? Can't a girl wear some sexy clothes without being on a date?"

"I guess so... Where is the store clerk? I need to buy some razors."

"Oh... I don't know, I came in and he wasn't here. Strange isn't it?"

"Then why are you just waiting there?" Hinata's question was answered when some teenager she could only assume was the store clerk came out of a back room carrying a small box of condoms.

"You're in luck, we did have some of those ribbed condoms in the back." Ino tried in vain to shush the loudmouth before he could spill the beans but her efforts were pointless.

"No date tonight huh?" Hinata pouted, clearly annoyed at being lied to.

Ino ignored her and purchased the special condoms. She shot an angry glare at the store clerk who flinched. Ino got a little bit of satisfaction from that. When she turned around to leave she came face to face with Hinata again.

"You deserve better than him, Ino."

"... See you in the morning Hinata."

Ino left the store and headed to her "date" if you could call it that. A more accurate term would be fuckfest but Ino wasn't about to admit that.

She finally arrived at her destination and knocked on the door. She was greeted by an all too familiar smile.

"Hello Ino. How would you like me to fuck you tonight?"

"Shush! Don't say shit like that so loud Sai." She pushed Sai out of the way and closed the door behind her.

"God you're dumb sometimes. If my dad found out we were already having sex he'd destroy your mind then put it back together so he can destroy it again."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant."

"Believe me, it's not."

"My question still stands. How would you like me to fuck you tonight?"

"Surprise me you sexy motherfucker!"

Ino pushed Sai onto his couch and pounced on him immediately. She started straddling his waist and kissing him passionately.

 _"He may have the social skills of a child but he fucks like a god."_ Ino thought as Sai's erection began poking into her increasingly wet panties.

Meanwhile, Hinata had finally gotten a hold of all of the supplies Naruto needed for his journey.

"First thing's first." Hinata said as she pulled out the shaving cream and razors. Naruto quickly took them and chopped off that ridiculous goatee of his. He got a little overzealous and cut himself a few times but he didn't care. Kissing Hinata was worth a lot more pain than just a few measly cuts.

"Okay, let's do this!" Naruto exclaimed as he pulled Hinata into an embrace. She obliged him with the kiss that they were both waiting for. They wasted no time in introducing their tongues to the mix and made out vigorously until they started to run out of breath.

"That was awesome." Naruto said after the two finally broke away for air.

"It was. How long are you going to stay before you head off to your motherland?"

"As soon as possible. I wish I could stay at least for the night, but I don't want to risk anyone else finding out that I'm here. You'd be in huge trouble if anyone knew about us."

"I understand sweetheart. At least let me help you get your disguise in order."

"That bit I could definitely use some help with."

A few minute's later and you never would have recognized Naruto. His headband was replaced by a pair of goggles similar to a pair he wore in his youth and his whisker marks were covered by a thin layer of make-up that matched his skin tone perfectly. His once blond hair was dyed black and his trademark orange and black tracksuit was replaced by a similar blue suit with white stripes going down the arms and legs. Even his once blue eyes were changed to green due to contact lenses.

"How do I look? Do you think this is a good enough disguise?"

"It should do the job. You should probably start using an alias too."

"An alias? What about... Menma?"

"Menma? Isn't that kind of obvious? It's another ramen condiment just like Naruto."

"Well... How about Goku?"

"..."

"Luffy? Ichigo? Ippo? Zatch? Yusuke? Satoshi? Kamina? Mugen? Ganta? Rin? Dandy?"

Hinata became more and more annoyed with each name.

"Ryuko?"

"That last one isn't even a boy's... Maybe you should go with Menma after all."

"If you say so Hinata."

"Tsunade is bound to ask if you contacted me when she hears what happened. Should I tell her about tonight?"

"Yeah, I trust her well enough."

"What about lord Jiraiya?"

"Tsunade can tell him. I don't want him to know about us because he'll probably make us the subject of his next book."

 _"That and I don't want him perving on my girl."_ Naruto added in his mind.

 _"If it inspires him to write up the next book sooner, I don't really mind."_ Hinata thought. She decided to keep that particular thought to herself however and promised Naruto that she would let Tsunade tell him.

Naruto packed up the rest of his supplies into storage scrolls and those scrolls into a back pack and prepared to say goodbye.

"I should get going now. I promise to write you on my way. When I figure out a way to clear my name, you'll be the first to know."

"Be careful Naruto. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"You'd probably be an emotional wreck until that Anko friend of yours snaps you out of your depression. After that you and her would probably hook up."

"Naruto!" Hinata playfully slapped him on the shoulder.

"Haha don't worry, I wouldn't blame you for moving on. Besides that Anko woman is quite a catch."

"That may be true but you're the best catch of them all."

Hinata embraced Naruto one last time and they shared another passionate kiss.

"Come back to me alive." Hinata said as she cuddled into his chest.

"Don't worry about that. I refuse to die until I fulfill my dream."

"Becoming Raikage?"

"No. Tapping this ass." Naruto slapped Hinata's butt surprising her and giving her a huge blush in the process.

"Keep it warm for me baby!" Naruto yelled before he disappeared in an impressive display of speed. Hinata activated her byakugan and followed Naruto for as long as she could before he went beyond her range.

 _"He slapped my butt so shamelessly... I'll have to punish him accordingly the next time we meet."_

Hinata walked home with a faint blush and a smile on her face.

Meanwhile, all was not righteous in the leaf village. Even now a certain man was holed up in his underground base doing what he did best. Scheming and plotting.

"So Kabuto has indeed gone back to the sound village?" Danzo questioned the two men kneeling in front of him.

"Yes sir. Him and the leader of the sound forces have been seen together in a village about a days travel north of here. We were unable to confirm why though." A man in a black mask answered.

"Hmm... I doubt Kabuto would be fool enough to think that him and one of Orochimaru's old pets are enough to match me. His current objective must not be the revenge that he's been so zealously seeking."

"Whatever they are planning can't possibly be good for the village sir. I ask that you send me and Torune to take care of them now." An auburn haired man with gold eyes requested.

"Request granted. Kill Kabuto but try and take the Uzumaki alive if you can. He may be of some use to us."

"Understood sir." Both men said in unison.

"The tree can only thrive" Danzo started.

"When the roots hidden in darkness support it." The two men finished.

"Lord Danzo, before we leave I feel like I must bring something to your attention."

"What is it Fu?"

"It's about Sai. I believe that he is no longer fit to be a member of this organization."


	58. Chapter 58

ch. 58

"You wanted to see me master?" Sai asked as he kneeled in front of his lord Danzo in his inner sanctum, a small barren room with nothing but a table and tea set.

"Yes Sai. Come sit with me, we have some things to discuss." Danzo gestured with his one good arm for Sai to sit opposite of him. Sai was weary but did as ordered.

"Your mission to watch over the last Uchiha has been going well I hope."

"It has sir. Sasuke has accepted me as a brother in arms, just as you planned."

"Excellent. Do you believe his woman is suitable for the purpose of rebuilding the Uchiha clan?"

"Yes sir. Sakura Haruno may be a clanless shinobi but she has a natural physical strength that has only been enhanced by her time learning from the hokage."

"Any chance of the Uchiha taking on multiple wives to make the rebuilding of his clan easier?"

"... No."

"Why not?"

"Sakura said, and please understand that I'm going to quote this word for word, " If I ever catch you cheating on me I will surgically remove that bitches spine, ass fuck you with it, then put it back in her body."

"... Sasuke was okay with her threatening him in such an obscene way?"

"He decided to take her on a romantic date to the most expensive restaurant in the village that night."

"..."

"Sir, if you don't have any more questions for me then I should be leaving now. I have to keep up appearances and join Sakura and Kakashi for our training session."

"You can leave after we discuss one more topic. I've heard rumors that you've had sexual relations with the Yamanaka heiress. Is this true?"

"Yes sir. It was for the sake of my mission. Sakura and Sasuke wanted to embark on the social outing commonly referred to as a "double date" and I used the opportunity to get closer to Sasuke."

"Why did you choose the Yamanaka heiress for this double date? You could have asked me to assign one of our female operatives to go with you."

"Sakura is a close friend of the Yamanaka heiress and I believed that inviting her would be a good way to get in Sakura's good graces and by extension Sasuke's. After the date, she attempted to seduce me. I accepted her sexual advances in the hopes that doing so would allow me to continue to use her for any future double dates. In order to continue the charade of being in a relationship with her it was necessary for me to have sex with her on a regular basis."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Approximately three months, with us having regular sexual interaction at least once a week."

"Were you ever planning on telling me this without me asking?"

"No sir. I didn't think it was important enough to mention."

"You thought wrong Sai."

"I understand sir. Should I stop my interactions with the Yamanaka heiress?"

"Yes. Using her to further your mission was acceptable but fornicating with her was not."

"If you are afraid that I may have developed feelings for her, I can assure you I haven't. She is nothing to me. No different than a common whore."

"I'm inclined to believe you. You've not shown me any indication that you've let your mind be clouded by the fog of emotion."

"Sir, by chance was it Fu Yamanaka that brought this information to you?"

"It was."

"Then perhaps you are questioning the emotional state of the wrong operative. Fu was close to Ino in their youth. He may have let his own emotions cloud his own judgement."

"Perhaps... You are dismissed Sai. Continue with your mission but end your interaction with the Yamanaka heiress the next chance you have."

"Yes sir."

"The tree can only thrive"

"When the roots hidden in darkness support it."

Sai bowed respectfully to his master and left Danzo to his own thoughts.

 _"If Fu's emotional state has been compromised then there is a good chance of him not making it back from his current mission. A terrible loss if it's true. Still, Even if Kabuto and his new ally defeat them I still hold the trump card. They will meet their end if they are arrogant enough to challenge me."_

A few miles away Kabuto was in a small inn meditating in his bed quietly. He was still covered head to toe in a cloak, no doubt so that he doesn't scare people with his new body. He was interrupted when Tadakatsu kicked the door open and walked in chugging a bottle of liquer.

"And where exactly have you been all morning?" Kabuto asked, visibly annoyed.

"I was out making some money. Unlike you I can't sit around doing nothing without going crazy."

"You're supposed to be the leader of a widespread and feared criminal empire and you've been out slinging dope and drinking like a common street dealer. You amaze me sometimes."

"Fuck off. Bad enough you made me leave Tayuya and Karin behind, but having to deal with your holier than thou attitude really pisses me off."

"The two of them would have only served to distract you."

"I'm okay with being distracted as long as I get to bust my nut."

"You disgust me."

"The feeling's mutual you scale covered fuck."

"These scales are stronger than even the most durable armor. You're just jealous that I've managed to surpass you in the one area you had an advantage over me in."

"Oh yeah? Wanna take this outside and go a few rounds? I'll teach you not to underestimate us Uzumaki."

"I have nothing but respect for the Uzumaki clan. It's you I have a problem with. Your clan's gifts are wasted on you. You're nothing but a bastard of the clan. The lost son of a banished whore!"

"FUCK YOU!" Tadakatsu screamed as he pulled out a kunai and stabbed it toward Kabuto's face. Kabuto blocked it with his bare hand and showed no sign of agony from having the weapon pierce his palm.

"My mother was a god damn princess... Never fucking forget that." Tadakatsu said through gritted teeth as he pulled his knife from Kabuto's hand.

"I'm dripping blood on the floor. Perhaps we should take this outside as you suggested."

"That's probably for the best. We probably scared the rest of the people in the inn half to death."

"I'll lead the way."

Kabuto lead Tadakatsu outside, ignoring the fear filled eyes of any people they passed on the way there. They came face to face in a clearing about a half mile outside the village and stared each other down.

"I bet I'll kick your ass in less than two minutes." Tadakatsu boasted.

"Is that so?" Kabuto questioned as he removed his cloak.

"I'll even be sporting and let you have the first hit." Tadakatsu continued to taunt. He arrogantly motioned for Kabuto to come over and hit him.

"How generous of you... Shadow Snakes!" Kabuto yelled as he flashed through handsigns and shot a white snake out of his hand like a bullet. It went right past Tadakatsu and encircled a tree behind him.

"Ah!" A surprised grunt was heard behind the tree and Tadakatsu flashed through his own set of handsigns.

"I guess I'll take the other one then. Earth style: Headhunter jutsu!" Tadakatsu disappeared underground leaving Kabuto alone in the clearing. The dead remains of his snake were then thrown into the clearing by Kabuto's feet. It's once white body turned into a purple shell of it's former self. The man responsible stepping out from the shade of the trees.

"I wasn't expecting this. The plan was to lure out the woman tasked with eliminating Tadakatsu. I didn't expect Danzo to send two of his top men after me. Perhaps he's more afraid of me than I realized."

"Our lord fears no man. You are simply an annoying fly that he has finally gotten tired of."

"Naturally, the Aburame makes an insect related analogy. Speaking of insects, I'm interested in these special bugs that you are said to carry. They sure did a number on my poor pet here. Perhaps after I kill you, I'll cut you open and find a way to utilize them for my own gains."

"You are welcome to try traitor." Torune removed his black cloak and his upper body soon turned purple, same as the snake that he had killed earlier.

 _"It's good that Tadakatsu let me pick which one of these two to fight. His skills aren't a good match for an enemy like Torune. I on the other hand, expected to meet Torune in combat one day. I'm more than prepared for this fight. I just hope that fool can handle a Yamanaka as powerful as Fu on his own."_

Right after Tadakatsu disappeared with the Headhunter jutsu, Torune's partner Fu was about to pounce on Kabuto from behind when Tadakatsu's arm shot out of the ground and attempted to grab him. Fu was swift enough to jump away from him and Tadakatsu emerged from the ground holding one of his trademark earthen spears.

"Shit. You're quick on your feet. I guess I'll just have to kill you the hard way. Hey, what the fuck?" Fu quickly turned tail and ran away. Tadakatsu chased him down swearing like a madman.

"Get back here you fucking coward!" Tadakatsu screamed loud enough for Kabuto and Torune to hear him.

"You're associate is an embarrasment."

"Even so, I'm confident that Tadakatsu is more than a match for your partner."

"I'm gonna fuck you until you love me faggot!" Tadakatsu screamed from the forest nearby.

An irresistible reflex compelled Kabuto to facepalm. Torune took the initiative and closed the distance between him and Kabuto. He tried to end the battle with one quick punch to the head but Kabuto ducked the attack. Kabuto jumped back and attacked Torune with another white snake. Torune grabbed the snake before it could bite him and it turned into a purple husk just like the last one.

 _"It looks like his bugs spread through an enemies body fairly fast. It only takes a few seconds to completely infect my snakes."_

Kabuto made a handsign and the snake that Torune was still holding exploded into a burst of scalding water. It got all over Torune's arm and chest and he was forced to retreat with a smoke bomb.

 _"Go ahead and run. I'm still going to send your severed head to Danzo."_

While Kabuto tracked down Torune, Tadakatsu was busy chasing Fu. During his pursuit he landed on a tree branch that was rigged with an exploding tag and set it off. He would have been blown to pieces had he not been able to perform the substitution jutsu in time, switching himself with a stray rock. The rock was shattered and sent flying in a multitude of directions, one of the pieces landing in Tadakatsu's outstretched palm. He started lazily throwing the rock up and catching it in the same hand repeatedly.

"A god damn trap master... Of course I end up with some pussy who doesn't have the balls to face me head on."

"A shinobi is supposed to be a master of stealth. A brute like you has no right to call himself a ninja." Fu's voice rang out from all around. Tadakatsu threw the rock in his hand into a nearby tree and knocked a small radio out of it.

"Really? You're going to try and taunt me so I'll get mad and fall into another one of your dumbass traps? Not gonna happen buddy. You wasted your one and only chance with that exploding tag."

Tadakatsu turned around and used his earthen spear to stab through a log trap that was coming straight at him. The log shattered and splintered into a million pieces.

"Is that the best you've got? A toothpick on a string?" Tadakatsu taunted.

"No. This is."

Suddenly Tadakatsu's entire body went limp and he slumped over, Fu taking the battle into their minds with a well placed mind transfer jutsu from his hiding spot nearby.

Fu entered Tadakatsu's mindscape and took in his surroundings.

"Mind transfer success." Fu noted while surveying the sex dungeon that was Tadakatsu's mindscape. The room was filthy, the floor being so sticky that it was almost hard to walk. The walls weren't in good shape either, with parts of them crumbling away and even some holes already having been formed.

"This mans mind is in even worse shape than I thought. It won't take much more for him to snap." Fu looked around for a few seconds and found a shrine of sorts to Tayuya and Karin. It was a wall covered in its entirety with pictures of them, some sexual in nature of course but the majority were not.

"His entire life revolves around his love of these two. He should be easy enough for lord Danzo to control. Perhaps I can find their locations while I'm here and we can capture one of them as leverage."

Fu reached out to touch one of the pictures on the wall and absorb the memory attached to it but he was stopped by an exotic melody that started filling the room. His conciousness slowly started to slip and it took all of his power to keep himself from falling asleep.

"Mental defenses... Strong ones too... I underestimated this one."

Fu decided to cut his losses and retreat back to his own body. He returned just in time to avoid a spear through his face that Tadakatsu had just tossed his way. The spear grazed his right cheek leaving a deep cut. He fell out of the tree that was his hiding place and landed on all fours. Fu tried to run from Tadakatsu again but found himself surrounded by an earth dome. A small opening formed and Tadakatsu entered.

"I heard everything you said when you were in my head. Now I'm going to kill you." The opening closed behind him leaving Fu and Tadakatsu trapped with each other in total darkness.

Elsewhere Torune was hiding behind a tree, applying some burn ointment to his body.

 _"Kabuto took me by surprise. I need to finish this quickly or else I risk further injury. All I need is one touch to spread my poison to his body."_

Just as Torune finished applying the medicine to his arm he was forced to roll out of the way as Kabuto appeared in front of him and attempted to slice his neck muscles with a slash from a chakra scalpel.

 _"Damn it! I wasn't able to heal the burn on my chest. I'm just going to have to grit my teeth and bear the pain."_

Torune rolled back to his feet and turned around to face Kabuto. He expected Kabuto to back off after missing such a good chance to end it, but he was wrong. Kabuto was rushing toward him, his left hand outstretched and covered in the green glow of a medical jutsu and his right hand forming a chakra scalpel, though this one was much thicker than a normal one, almost like a chakra blade a wind style user would fight with.

 _"A medical jutsu? What the hell is he doing? If he touches me with that my bugs will spread to his arm!"_

Kabuto slammed his palm into Torune's burned chest and Torune's bugs immediately began spreading into Kabuto's arm.

 _"That fool! Why would he voluntarily tou..."_ "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly the pain from Torune's burns became unbearable. As a member of root Torune was trained to ignore pain, but this was beyond anything he had ever felt before. He felt like he was swimming in the very fires of hell itself. Torune fell backwards and started wailing like an injured child.

Meanwhile, Kabuto didn't have much time to act before Torune's poisonous bugs spread through his arm and all the way up to his head. As soon as Kabuto touched Torune, he raised the chakra scalpel in his right hand and sliced his arm off slightly below the elbow. He managed to get it off in time to save the rest of his body from infection. He held up the stub that used to be his arm and after making a one handed sign the wound closed on it's own to prevent him from bleeding out. His life no longer in immediate danger, Kabuto looked down at the sad state of his enemy.

 _"I was going to explain to him how I purposefully missused a basic pain killing jutsu that when performed improperly can increase pain exponentially, but he's still crying like a baby... I guess I'll just finish him off then. He'll never know how I bested him now."_

Back with Tadakatsu and Fu, Tadakatsu's idea to imprison them in an earth dome and force Fu into a taijutsu exchange was working beautifully in his favor. Tadakatsu was easily superior in taijutsu. Tadakatsu kicked Fu so hard in the stomach that he flew up into the ceiling of the dome and fell back down only to fall right into an uppercut. He went flying and landed on his back on the hard ground.

"I'll admit... You're tougher than I thought. If you weren't such a cowardly piece of shit that planned on kidnapping my loved ones I might actually have some respect for you." Tadakatsu walked over and stepped on his chest.

"Orochimaru told me all about you root scumbags. You go through training to kill your emotions thinking that it will make you stronger... You're leader has lied to you. Killing your emotions isn't to make you stronger."

"What... What are you talking about?"

"Your leader isn't interested in making you stronger. He forces you to kill your emotions to make you easier to control. You're a Yamanaka, you're first loyalty should be to your family and Danzo knows that."

"My family..." Fu's thoughts turned to Ino. The daughter of his clan head and the first person he ever thought of as his friend.

"Ino..." Fu said right before Tadakatsu stabbed him in the stomach with his spear.

"Ino is never going to see you again."

Right at this moment Ino was knocking on Sai's door when a chill shot through her body.

 _"Ugh... That was weird."_ She thought as she continued to knock.

"If you're looking for Sai he should be at our training ground waiting for me." Kakashi said from behind Ino, his face buried in his beloved smut. Ino freaked out from being snuck up on and lashed out to hit Kakashi who ducked the punch with out even looking.

"Don't do that!"

"Do you want me to pass a message on to Sai for you?"

"No... I wasn't here for anything important, I just wanted to see him."

"So it was a booty call?"

Kakashi dodged another punch from Ino and went on his merry way to his teams training grounds.

 _"Kakashi sensei is so annoying... How does Sakura put up with his crap? She even told me he was spying on her and Sasuke when they first got together. Freaking weirdo, better have not been spying on me and Sai when we hooked up."_

 _"Note to self, pitch idea to Jiraiya for his books. Princess with the ability to read minds falls in love with artist with the ability to make his drawings come to life, along with the dark and brooding prince who falls in love with the overbearing village doctor, and the young female soldier who falls in love with her queen."_

Ino, Sai, Sakura, Sasuke, TenTen, and Tsunade all sneezed at the exact same time.

"I don't know why but I want to beat the shit out of Kakashi today." Sakura said as she rubbed her nose.

"You always want to do that." Sai answered.

"I mean more than usual... It's as if the universe is warning me that he's planning to do something that's going to piss me off. I must sound crazy, don't I?"

"Very much so. Such powers may not be outside the realm of possibility for someone with a rare bloodline, but you have no such power. You are entirely ordinary and have no real talents or special abilities."

Sakura cracked her knuckles and it was at that exact moment that Sai realized, he fucked up.

Back with the action, Tadakatsu was dragging Fu's lifeless body back to the clearing where all the fighting started.

"Hey Kabuto, you kill your guy yet?" He yelled into the forest.

Kabuto walked into view holding a storage scroll that Tadakatsu didn't notice as he was too busy reacting to Kabuto missing an arm.

"OH SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?! I HOPE THAT WASN'T YOUR MEAT BEATING HAND, FUCK!"

"I'll be alright. You were kind enough to bring me a donor. Though we'll have to retreat briefly so Karin can attach it. Even I'm not good enough to perform such a surgery one handed."

"What about Anko?"

"We'll have to wait for her to come to us. I underestimated how much Danzo wants me dead. He must have blocked the hokage from hearing about us being here so he could send his own men after me."

"So we came here for no reason?"

"I learned that Danzo considers me a legitimate threat. That's good enough for now."

"I learned something too. This guy tried jumping into my mind. Tayuya's mental defenses protected me but I found out that Danzo wants to put me under his thumb. This piece of shit thought that he could kidnap Tayuya or Karin to get to me."

"I'm not surprised. It wouldn't have been the first time Danzo used a loved one to force someone into his service."

"Yeah well I'm not going to sit with my thumb up my ass and wait for him to try that shit with me. After we take care of the last curse mark I want to help you kill that bastard."

Kabuto smiled. "Good. Danzo is far beyond these two. I could use the help."

"One more thing Kabuto... Don't talk about my mother like that again."

"... It was your idea to fake a fight to lower the guard of whoever came after us. I had to say something that would realistically set you off."

"I know... I still don't appreciate you talking about her like that. My mother was a god damn princess. Don't you ever forget it."

 **END CHAPTER 58**

 **Hanabi gaiden ch. 1: Team Neji**

Newly appointed Jonin Neji Hyuga sat on the roof of the ninja academy with his assigned Genin team. A team that contained his own little sister Hanabi. Said Hyuga was glaring daggers at him for not telling her earlier that he was her squad captain. He did his best to ignore her for the time being.

"Well... It is customary for new squads to share things about themselves so that the team can begin to familiarize themselves with each other. Who would like to go first?"

"OH! OH! Neji sensei, can I go first?" A spunky girl with red tattoo's on her cheeks raised her hand. She wore a grey sleeveless hoodie over a fishnet shirt and blue pants. Her medium length brown hair was held up in a ponytail and she had some paw print shaped hair clips keeping her bangs out of her eyes.

"My name is Yoko Inuzuka and this beautiful little baby is my puppy!" Yoko bent over and picked up a beautiful pure bred shiba inu pup with gorgeous orange and white fur.

"His name is Shimmy and I love him. He already knows a bunch of tricks." Yoko put Shimmy down and he looked up at his master.

"Sit, Shimmy." The dog did as ordered.

"Hand shake." The dog did as ordered again.

"Speak." The dog barked as loudly as it could.

"Yoko, we really should be moving on." Neji said, not interested in the slightest at such simple dog tricks.

"Wait, we still have our best trick for last! Okay Shimmy, what do you do when you see a fine bitch walking down the street?" Neji and Hanabi both tried to suppress a laugh with varying degrees of success, that is to say Neji made no indication that he wanted to laugh and Hanabi had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing like a hyena.

This time Shimmy howled almost like a wolf and Yoko looked down at him in disappointment.

"Now Shimmy, I told you before that bitches don't like it when you holler at them."

Shimmy laid his head down and covered his eyes with his paws.

"What's the proper way to get bitches Shimmy?"

Shimmy stood back up and bowed his head almost like a human would do when giving another the proper respect.

"That's right Shimmy. Respect the bitches and they'll come to you."

Yoko picked up Shimmy and sat back down. Shimmy started licking her face which she seemed to enjoy.

"... Who's next." Neji questioned.

Hanabi lazily raised her hand.

"My name is Hanabi Hyuga and I love opening up cans of whoop ass and spending time with my sister."

Yoko stopped playing with Shimmy and took note of Hanabi and Neji's eyes.

"Hey, are you two related?"

"He's my cousin."

"She's my sister."

Hanabi and Neji answered respectfully.

"Wait, what?"

"My father was her father's identical twin. We are technically cousins but also technically siblings." Neji explained. "Anyway, that leaves you there in the back."

A girl in a thick black jacket and sunglasses stood up. Her hair was short, curly, and equally as dark as her coat. Even her pants were black and in her ears were skull shaped earrings.

 _"I would get paired with some emo Aburame. She's probably going to say she likes dark poetry about pain or whatever."_ Hanabi thought.

 _"I would get paired with the scariest girl in class. I hope she doesn't hate dogs."_ Yoko thought, holding Shimmy tight.

"My name is Shiro Aburame... I love ponies and rainbows and the sound of laughter."

"..." The rest of her team were all with out words.

"Shiro?"

"Yes Neji sensei?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but... You're current attire doesn't really fit with what you just claimed to like."

"You mean all the black? That's just my pets."

"Your... Pets?"

Suddenly all of the black coloring of her clothes and hair started receding and her jacket was now a bright pink. Her pants turned to a matching white and her hair became blond.

"My clan created a new breed of bugs designed to adhere to the surface of my body and clothing as a sort of armor. When they lock their bodies together it's kind of like living chain-mail."

"..." Once again her team was speechless.

"Is that weird?" Shiro asked, looking back and forth between her new teammates.

 _"I wonder if it's too late to go back to being a chunin."_ Neji thought as he realized just how much of a handful these three girls would be.


	59. Chapter 59

ch. 59

"Where the fuck are we?" Naruto yelled in frustration as he found himself staring at a dead end. Earlier that day, Naruto had discovered that he was going to have to overcome some mountains before he reached the remains of the whirlpool village. According to Kurama, there was an old tunnel system that lead to a beach that hid a secret to getting past the whirlpools and into the village. It was supposed to be easy to find your way through these tunnels but Naruto kept getting lost because he's Naruto.

"What the fuck!" Naruto yelled as he rounded a corner to find himself facing yet another dead end.

 _"Kurama, give me one good reason not to go giant fox mode and bring this god damn mountain down!"_

 ** _"You'll blow our cover."_**

 _"Give me another one because I'm seriously about to lose it!"_

 ** _"If we get caught we won't be able to sleep with the beauty waiting for us when all this bullshit is over."_**

 _"Ok... Thank you for reminding me. The power of my boner is greater than my anger."_

 ** _"The power of boners is stronger than everything."_**

 _"You got me there."_

 ** _"More importantly, I don't remember this tunnel system being so confusing the last time I was here. The Uzumaki clan must have expanded it prior to the destruction of the village."_**

 _"Damn it, if only I was an earth affinity. I could just use earth jutsu to dig my way straight through the rock."_

 ** _"I wouldn't recommend that. They probably have some sort of defense mechanism in place for just such an occasion."_**

 _"What do you suggest we do then? Make a bunch of shadow clones and run around like assholes until one of us finds an exit?"_

 ** _"Honestly... Yes."_**

Naruto face palmed and then made his signature hand sign.

"I swear to god if we don't find the exit soon I'm going to destroy this place. Fuck the consequences."

Elsewhere in the world, Sasuke and TenTen were giving their full report to the hokage about recent events.

"So there is no actual proof of this attack, just the word of the lord of lightning and this stone kunoichi?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes ma'am." Sasuke and TenTen answered in unison.

"... You are dismissed. Keep this information to yourselves."

"Yes ma'am." TenTen left but Sasuke stayed behind.

"What is it this time Sasuke?"

"I learned something on this mission that I withheld from the official report as it is of a sensitive nature."

"What?"

"The night we arrived I found Naruto engaged in combat against a member of a group known as the Akatsuki."

Sasuke explained everything that happened that night, including how Shishio claimed to know his brothers whereabouts.

"An old Uchiha safehouse? That's not very specific."

"It's a better clue than you would think. After the last war only two of my clans safe houses were left. The first one is the home to a group of ninja cats so I know Itachi won't be there. He has to be at the other one."

"Why wouldn't he be at the one with the ninja cats?"

"Because he's allergic."

"... Really?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Okay... So what do you propose we do about it? Itachi is possibly the strongest rogue ninja in the world right now. Don't tell me that you're stupid enough to think that you can beat him."

"No, I can't beat him... Not alone anyway. Give me Sakura, Sai, Lee, and Kakashi sensei. With them, I can beat him."

"... No. I won't send five of my best shinobi on a suicide mission so you can have your petty revenge."

"Then do it to strike a blow against the Akatsuki. They need to be stopped before they harm any more jinchuriki."

"Look kid, if anyone doesn't want jinchuriki to get hurt it's me, but as the hokage I can't let my personal feelings get in the way of my decision making. For all we know you were told a lie and Itachi isn't even there, or worse it's some kind of trap."

"I understand that ma'am but"

"Give it up kid." Jiraiya put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder from behind.

"Go get some rest and let me talk to her."

Sasuke merely nodded and bowed to the hokage. As he turned around to leave he looked at Jiraiya.

"A message from your godson lord Jiraiya. "I need more training"." With that last comment, Sasuke left.

"He's right about one thing, akatsuki needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Your grandfather seperated the tailed beast for a reason. If all nine of them are brought together again then it could lead to the end of the world."

"I know that Jiraiya. I still don't feel comfortable sending Sasuke after his brother."

"Then send me with them."

"Oh? I figured you were going to head back out to search for Naruto."

"I already know where the kid is. He told Gamabunta that he was heading toward the ruins of the whirlpool village to lay low. I can afford to take some time to make sure Kakashi's student doesn't get himself killed."

"Do you think that you can succeed? They're all highly skilled shinobi but Itachi could have given sensei a run for his money back when he was in his prime."

"It'll be all right. Even if defeating Itachi is beyond Sasuke, I have a feeling Itachi won't bother killing him. At least until Sasuke awakens his own Mangekyo."

"You think he left him alive for his eyes?"

"It's the most likely reason."

"Okay Jiraiya. Round up your team and head out as soon as possible, and be careful. Itachi has most likely been warned that his location has been compromised, if he's even there."

Tsunade was right of course. Itachi had known that Shishio told Sasuke where he was for days now. Luckily for Sasuke, Itachi wasn't going anywhere. Him and his partner Kisame were at the very safehouse that Sasuke predicted they would be at. It was an old fortress from before the village system was in affect. Itachi sat lazily on an old throne while Kisame stood in front of him, the two in the middle of a conversation.

"Are you sure about this Itachi?"

"Yes. Even if Sasuke hasn't awakened his mangekyo yet, I can't wait any longer. I don't have much left in me before my eyes finally lose their light. Will you stay by my side and assist me when the time comes, Kisame?"

"Your fight is with your brother. Leave anyone he brings to me."

"Thank you Kisame. After I have my brother's eyes we can finally find and capture the jinchuriki that lord pain entrusted to us. I know that you've been looking forward to challenging him for a long time now."

"Can you really blame me? I never thought I'd get another chance to fight an Uzumaki."

"You were there weren't you? When the whirlpool village was destroyed?"

"Yeah... I remember it like it was yesterday. We came down on them like a tidal wave. The Uzumaki clan was so powerful that we had them outnumbered ten to one and they still managed to kill almost half of our combined forces. I was assigned to an assassination squad to kill their clan head and his daughter. That bastard wiped out my whole squad, save for me and my predecessor in the seven swordsmen."

"What about his daughter?"

"She wasn't even there. Apparently she was banished not long before the invasion. It's a shame. I had heard that she was a sage. I would have loved to see a sage in action."

"You're lucky she wasn't. Sages are on a whole different level. Even Samehada would be useless against one."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever fight one."

Elsewhere in the world, Naruto had still not found an exit. His rage was boiling at this point and even the power of his boner was failing to keep him in check.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Naruto screamed to the heavens. He had just walked into a chamber and found every single clone he created in one place. He dispeled them all and in the following rush of information, nothing of use was learned.

 _"I'M LOSING IT!"_

 ** _"Damn it Naruto, remember your boner!"_**

 _"MY BONER ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH!"_

Naruto's body became enshrouded by a cloak of demonic chakra and he started forming a rasengan,intent on bringing the entire mountain down. He ran toward the far wall and was about to slam his rasengan into it when Kurama realized something.

 ** _"NARUTO, WE FOUND THE EXIT! STOP!"_**

Naruto came to his senses just in time to slide to a halt in front of the wall.

 ** _"There, in the very center of the wall. Smear some blood on that seal."_**

 _"The fuck are you talking about? What seal?"_

 ** _"Look closer."_**

Naruto put his face up to the wall and squinted.

 _"You mean that tiny ass dot?"_

 ** _"It's no mere dot. It's a highly complicated seal matrix."_**

 _"It's a fucking dot."_

 ** _"Just bleed on the damn thing."_**

Naruto bit his thumb and smeared his blood over the almost invisible seal. He heard a clicking sound and a section of the wall lowered, revealing a corridor with a bright light shining at the end.

 _"What the fuck!? How is someone supposed to find this shit unless they already know where it is?"_

 ** _"That was the point."_**

 _"How the hell did this place get destroyed if it was this hard to get to?"_

 ** _"Allegedly there was an inside man that helped the invading forces get in. I don't know much about the invasion other than that. Let's hurry up and get to the village. If you really want to know more about the invasion then we'll probably find some clues there."_**

Naruto dashed through the tunnel and came out to the sight of the most beautiful beach he had ever seen. Lush greenery flanked a stone walkway that led to a pedestal with the Uzumaki crest etched into it. The path even spiraled around the pedestal, creating another Uzumaki crest under it. On either side of the path there were trees filled with exotic fruits that Naruto had never seen before.

 _"My god... This would be the perfect beach to have sex on. We need to bring Hinata here one day."_

 ** _"Try one of the fruits in the trees. Mito used to love them."_**

Naruto grabbed one of the oddly shaped yellow fruits and bit into it, instantly loving it.

 _"What is this? It's awesome!"_

 ** _"It's called starfruit."_**

 _"Starfruit? If I eat the whole thing will I start glowing and have the power to beat badguys just by running into them?"_

 ** _"Wrong kind of star, numbnuts."_**

While he continued to munch on his new favorite fruit, Naruto approached the pedestal and pulled out a kunai with his free hand.

 _"Let me guess, I have to bleed on it?"_

 ** _"Yep. Get used to it. I'm sure we'll find even more blood based seals in the village. I guess your clan just had a thing about transmitting bodily fluids."_**

 _"If you start that shit again I'll seal your ass so fucking fast!"_

Kurama stayed silent as Naruto activated the blood seal. As soon as Naruto's blood touched his clan's crest the stone walkway underneath him disappeared and he fell a few feet into a small clear pod, floating in a pool of water. In front of the pod was a big clear tube that led under the water. The pod closed behind him and started drifting toward the tube. Naruto was of course, freaking out.

 _"What the fuck! What did you just get us into, Kurama?"_

 ** _"It'll be alright. I seem to recall that you like rollercoasters."_**

 _"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"_ Was Naruto's last thought before the odd pod shot through the tube, toward the whirlpool village at an incredible speed. Naruto might have been able to appreciate the beautiful underwater scenery that they were passing if he wasn't shooting past at a speed that would match his father. They reached the end of the line and the front of the pod opened up, flinging Naruto out when the pod came to an abrupt halt. Naruto went flying into a vertical trampoline and bounced off onto a giant cushion on the ground.

 _"What. The. FUCK!"_

 ** _"That was a lot faster than I expected. I'm surprised that thing is still in such good condition."_**

 _"Why the hell would my ancestors even build something like that?"_

 ** _"I don't know but it was fun wasn't it?"_**

 _"... Fuck yeah."_

 **Hanabi gaiden ch.2 Test preparations**

"Bullshit!" Hanabi exclaimed when Neji told her that there was still one more test before they were officially considered genin.

"Hanabi... You know what your father thinks of that kind of language."

"I agree with Hanabi. We've already been tested on the skills necessary to become genin. Why must we be tested again?" Shiro asked.

"Because being a ninja takes more than just a knowledge of jutsu. Being a ninja requires a keen mind and the ability to adapt to any situation. That is what this test is about. In approximately one hour I want you three to meet me at training ground number nine. There you shall fight me and depending on your performance I shall pass or fail you. I suggest you three use your time wisely and come up with a plan." Neji disappeared in a swirl of leaves and the three girls put their heads together to think.

"This is such a load of crap." Hanabi complained.

"It is an annoyance but one we must overcome. We should go over all of our abilities so that we know what each of us is capable of. I'll go first. I am proficient in my clans bug clone jutsu and the basic academy jutsu. Inside of my body are two different breeds of bugs. My chainmail bugs you've already seen but I also have my clans parasitic breed of insects that can absorb a foe's chakra. With my chainmail insects I can challenge a foe in taijutsu with reduced risk to myself and plant my parasitic insects on them."

"Oh! Oh! Me next Shiro, me next! Me and Shimmy can use the man beast clone technique and the fang over fang attack. I can use the basic academy stuff too. Your turn Hanabi."

"Well, I'm proficient in my clan's gentle fist style, but nowhere near Neji's level. I can use the eight trigrams sixty four palms to immobilize someone but I doubt I'll get the chance to use it on Neji. I haven't been able to learn any of my clan's other techniques yet but I can use the academy jutsu too."

"What can you tell us about Neji sensei? Does he use any sort of elemental jutsu?"

"I know that he's an earth affinity but I don't know any specific jutsu that he's mastered."

"What kind of a fighter is he?"

"Neji is merciless. His style is a mix of calculating patience and ruthless aggression."

"Do you have any ideas on how to defeat him?"

"It's going to be tough. He has the same skill set as me, but stronger in every way. Against you, he can keep track of every single one of your bugs with his byakugan and the rotation can get off any bugs you plant on him. Yoko's fang over fang is a really powerful attack, but even that won't be able to get through the rotation."

"Would you say the rotation is going to be our biggest obstacle?"

"Definitely. We also have to watch out for the vacuum palm technique. It's a high level gentle fist strike that can hit an opponent from range."

"So what you're saying is, not only do we not possess the means to break through his defensive jutsu, but we are also at a huge disadvantage offensively because he has greater range than us." Shiro summarized, realizing just how much of a threat their sensei was.

"You make it sound so easy." Hanabi sarcastically remarked.

"Umm..." Yoko finally spoke up. "Never mind."

"If you have an idea please share it Yoko. Me and Hanabi would both appreciate your input."

"Well... It's just that something Neji sensei said has been kind of bothering me. "Being a ninja requires a keen mind and the ability to adapt to any situation. That is what this test is about."." Yoko repeated in her most Neji like voice.

"I don't get it. What's so special about what he said there?" Hanabi asked.

"I think I understand. He stressed adaptation then immediately gave us a scenario to plan for. You're thinking that he's going to bait and switch us somehow, right Yoko?"

"Yeah. I mean, with Hanabi on our team we have someone who knows him firsthand. I think he wanted us to come up with a plan to fight him and then he'd make us fight someone who our plan would be useless against."

"Genjutsu!" Hanabi blurted out.

"Neji has no affinity for genjutsu and he knows that I know that. If we walk in there with out being prepared for genjutsu we could be taken down before we even get to fight."

"Excellent point. Luckily for us the Aburame clan is notorious for our defense against genjutsu." Shiro held out her hand and three of her parasitic bugs crawled out of her sleeve and onto her palm.

"If I attach one of my bugs to your necks then they can dispell any genjutsu placed on you almost immediately. This solves our genjutsu problem but we still need to come up with a plan of attack. If Yoko's hunch is correct then it shouldn't be a plan to defeat anyone in particular. We must come up with a generalized plan that can be easily modified to adapt to whatever kind of enemy we face. Since my defensive capabilities are the strongest I suggest we start off by..."

While Hanabi and her team brainstormed a plan of attack, Neji was meditating in the appointed training grounds when some familiar faces dropped by.

"Hello Asuma sensei and Kurenai sensei. Your assistance is greatly appreciated."


	60. Chapter 60

ch. 60

After a quick rest to get his head straight, Naruto stood up and took in his surroundings. He was in a small stone chamber with a pool for the pod he entered with to float in. Aside from the trampoline and cushion from earlier there was only a ladder leading up and a seal that was illuminating the room.

 _"That's weird. Illumination seals don't usually stay this bright unless they're maintained every few months."_

 ** _"Maybe we aren't alone here. That would explain why everything is still in such good condition."_**

 _"I can't sense anyone but after all the people I've run into who know chakra suppression I won't be surprised if there's a ton of people around."_

 ** _"It's almost like your life is a story and the author is trying to make up for giving you an incredibly overpowered ability way too early."_**

 _"That's... oddly specific Kurama."_

 ** _"Huh? What?"_**

 _"You're acting strange."_

 ** _"Never mind that. Let's climb up to the village and see what we can find."_**

Naruto climbed the ladder and soon reached the top, pushing a manhole cover out of the way and pulling himself out.

"My god..." Naruto said as he laid his eyes on his ancestral home. The manhole led him to the front gate of the village, where he had a perfect view of the destruction. The gate itself had been blown open, most likely by some kind of heavy duty explosive. On the other side of the ruined gate were the remains of destroyed buildings, some utterly demolished but others in a good enough condition to keep standing. Naruto started walking toward the center of the village While keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. After some time, he found himself standing in front of an enormous mansion.

 ** _"The patriarchs mansion. The leader and eldest member of the clan lived here. Rumor has it that he was almost two hundred years old before he finally died during the invasion. He was also rumored to have a hidden library with scrolls containing the most powerful and arcane sealing arts in the world."_**

 _"Let's check it out."_

Naruto entered the mansion and began exploring. He eventually found a large library that had been totally ransacked and stripped of all documents. He inspected the door to the room and found the remnants of a seal.

 _"That seal isn't very powerful. A seal master should have been able to make something way stronger."_

 ** _"Overconfidence? Perhaps he didn't think a stronger seal was necessary?"_**

 _"I'm not so sure. Let's give this place a good once over. Maybe we'll find something good."_

While Naruto was searching for anything of value Sasuke was in his backyard, putting arrows through a training dummy. In the blink of an eye he had put three arrows in the space where a man's heart would have been.

"You've gotten really good with that thing in three years." Sakura said after she dropped down from Sasuke's roof.

"Itachi always used to tell me that I had sharp eyes, even among our clan. He always gave me the praise I could never get from father."

"Jiraiya convinced lady Tsunade to give us the mission as long as he goes with us."

"I expected as much. I hope you aren't mad that I asked for you. I trust no one as much as I trust you."

"I understand. I always knew this day would come eventually."

"Thank you Sakura. I know I haven't always been the best man for you but you stayed regardless. I don't deserve your loyalty."

"I can't pretend that I've been the best girlfriend either. I know that you've been wanting more from me for a long time now."

"You don't need to think about that Sakura." Sasuke walked over to her and stroked her cheek. "We can wait as long as you want."

"Why do you think I'm here Sasuke."

Sasuke was taken aback and blushed.

"What?"

"This is going to be the most dangerous mission of our lives. I don't want to go into it with any regrets, do you?"

"No, but are you sure?"

"Have you ever known me to be unsure of anything?"

Sakura kissed Sasuke tenderly on his lips. She led him by the hand to his bed and she kissed him once more.

"Just lay back and relax. I'll do everything baby." She purred into his ear before pushing him to the bed. She began undressing, first removing her top and showing off her sexy red bra and her washboard abs. A lot of guys find muscles like that to be unattractive on a woman. Luckily Sasuke was not one of those guys and immediately became aroused at the sight.

Sakura cupped her small yet nicely rounded breasts in her hands. She pinched her nipples through the fabric of her bra before trailing her hands down to her shorts. She pulled a kunai wrapped in an exploding tag from her leg pouch and tossed it out the open window. A few seconds later it went off and two distinct thuds echoed from outside.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen. She's inherited Tsunade's pervert sense. Grab the notes and let's get out of here Kakashi!"

"Yes lord Jiraiya!"

"They won't be bothering us any more baby. Now show me yours and I'll show you mine." Sakura had her hands on the waist of her shorts and was prepared to pull them down. Sasuke was quick to answer her.

"Yes ma'am!" He exclaimed as he slid his pants down.

While all of this glorious naughtiness was happening Naruto had found what he was looking for.

 _"I fucking knew it."_ He thought as he stared at the same almost microscopic dot that guarded the secret exit to the tunnel from earlier. This time it was in the center of the floor. After being exposed to Naruto's blood a section of the floor descended into a spiraling staircase. Naruto took the staircase down into a hallway with a scroll nailed to an old wooden door.

"Forbidden section." The scroll read.

 _"Score! We already found something badass."_

 ** _"I smell a rat. Why the hell would you label a room containing forbidden knowledge? If it's forbidden then you obviously don't want anyone to find it."_**

 _"You're over thinking things, as usual."_

 ** _"And your dumbass is under thinking, as usual. Go ahead and check what's inside. Watch it be a trap."_**

Naruto accepted the challenge and opened the door. The hidden room was a vast library filled with thousands of scrolls lined up on shelves. One scroll was different than the rest in that it was on the far side of the room on a pedestal. Naruto ran over and inspected the scroll. It looked to be in excellent condition thanks to a seal applied to it that helped prevent decay and molding. He slowly unraveled the scroll and began reading.

"For years the Uzumaki clan has stood at the top of the shinobi world thanks to our mastery of the sealing arts and our bodies blessed by lord Asura."

 _"Asura?"_

 ** _"One of the sons of the sage of six paths. The Uzumaki and Senju descended from him. He was a good man and a friend to my brethren."_**

"Our greatest asset however, is neither of these things. Our greatest asset is our mastery of an incredible technique. This technique has helped elevate our clan to a power to rival the five great shinobi villages of the elemental nations."

Naruto couldn't believe his luck. He never expected to find something this amazing. He continued to read the scroll with a goofy grin on his face.

"This technique can only be utilized by individuals with vast reserves of chakra and is incredibly dangerous when performed by the unworthy. For this reason the technique has been classified as forbidden."

 ** _"Wait a minute..."_**

Naruto ignored Kurama and continued reading in excitement. "The name of this forbidden technique is... The shadow clone jutsu."

"..."

 ** _"I had a funny feeling."_**

"This phenomenal technique allows experience to be accumulated faster than normal. It is the primary reason we can learn the sealing arts so easily and can train our members to such a high skill level so fast."

 _"But I've... already been using shadow clones to train. I've been doing it since before I made genin."_ Naruto unraveled the rest of the scroll, skipping over some instructions on how to perform the jutsu and finding some more text at the very end.

"What? Were you expecting something else? Some ridiculous hidden ability that gives us god like power? Having almost infinite chakra isn't enough for you? Who do you think we are, the Uchiha clan? We Uzumaki work for a living. Deal with it."

Naruto was speechless. He stared at the scroll for a few minutes before he finally threw it in anger. "God damn it!" Naruto screamed to the heavens in frustration.

 ** _"Maybe we can find something useful in one of the other scrolls?"_**

 _"We better."_

Naruto walked over and grabbed a random scroll, opening it. _"... Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"_

 ** _"Are you seeing a drawing of a penis?"_**

 _"Yes."_

 ** _"Then yes."_**

 _"... WHY!"_

Naruto started angrily snatching scrolls off the shelves and opening them, revealing even more penis drawings.

 _"WHY WOULD SOMEONE DRAW ALL OF THESE!? FUCK THIS PLACE!"_ Naruto tossed the final scroll he had opened and stormed out of the hidden room and back up the spiral staircase.

 ** _"I was right about it being a trap even if it wasn't the kind I was expecting."_**

 _"Fuck off!"_ Naruto reached the top of the stairs and headed toward the exit to the library.

 _"This was a giant waste of our time!"_

 ** _"We've been here less than a few hours. Calm down and keep searching."_**

 _"Why? There's nothing here. Or what, do you think we're gonna run into some Uzumaki survivors that have been hiding here the whole time?"_

 ** _"We'll never know unless we look. Besides, you saw the illumination seal earlier. It's a definite possibility that we're not alone."_**

 _"I can't even sense any animals on this island. There's no way that there's been survivors hiding here for this long."_

Naruto walked through the door to the library and suddenly found himself ensnared by a golden chain that came from down the hall.

 ** _"I FUCKING KNEW IT!"_**

 _"THAT'S NOT THE REACTION YOU SHOULD BE HAVING RIGHT NOW!"_

Naruto was dragged down the hallway until he arrived back at the front entrance of the mansion. Standing over him was a gigantic old man with a walking stick. His towering frame was at least half a foot taller than Naruto. He wore a white kimono and was bald on top but still had some hair in the back that reached down to his waist. He also had a big white bushy beard that matched the rest of his hair. His arms were thick with muscle and he stared down at Naruto with hard eyes.

"Pitiful thief. You thought you could come here and ransack the remnants of the whirlpool village? For such insolence there is only one punishment."

"Wait you don't understand! I'm a"

"Silence! The punishment is death! Make peace with whatever gods you worship." The old man pulled out a scroll and unraveled it on the ground in front of Naruto. It had the single most complex seal Naruto had ever seen in his life. Naruto shuddered at the thought of what kind of arcane power the old man was going to unleash on him. The seal began glowing and radiating an unfathomable amount of raw chakra. Realizing that he couldn't just sit there and let this old man destroy him, Naruto mustered up all the strength he could and broke free of the chakra chain ensnaring him. He jumped away right as the seal released it's power. There was a blinding light but Naruto shielded his eyes right on time.

"Welcome home!" The old man yelled. Towering over him was two logs holding up a banner that said "welcome home" as well. The seal that Naruto had thought was some sort of weapon had just been used to summon it. Naruto stared at the old man slackjawed.

"My name is Genji Uzumaki and I welcome you to your ancestral home my wayward son. Judging by your reaction to the scroll in my hidden library, I assume you already know the shadow clone jutsu? If that is the case then hopefully I can teach you something that will make your trip worthwhile."

"You... You're the"

"The patriarch of our clan, yes. I did indeed survive the invasion of our home. Perhaps I can tell you the story over a nice cup of tea, or perhaps some"

"YOU'RE THE ASSHOLE WHO DREW ALL OF THOSE DICK PICTURES!" Naruto yelled as he charged at the patriarch. In one fluid motion, the old man grabbed Naruto's arm in mid air and flipped him to the ground.

"You fight as I did in my youth. Hot blooded and easily flustered. We'll have to work on breaking those habits in the coming weeks."

Back in the leaf village Sasuke and Sakura cuddled each other after their passionate love making.

"That was amazing Sakura." Sasuke pecked Sakura on the cheek and held her even closer.

"You weren't half bad yourself. Can you do me a favor and make me a sandwich babe? I'm starving."

"Of course my love." Sasuke kissed Sakura one more time before getting out of bed. As he stood up in all his naked glory Sakura reached over and smacked his ass hard enough to leave a red mark.

"Go ahead and make one for yourself too. You'll need the energy." Sasuke smiled and looked over at her with a light blush.

"Yes ma'am."


	61. Chapter 61

ch. 61

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto questioned as he stared at the seal that Genji had drawn on the wall. It was an absurdly complex seal that had almost a hundred strokes. This wasn't what Naruto couldn't believe however.

"How the hell can you draw a seal that complex in a space smaller than the tip of my finger?" Naruto questioned, and for good reason. This seal was apparently the same seal as that almost microscopic dot that Naruto had found when he first arrived.

"Excellent question Menma. The answer is both simple and brilliant." Genji pulled a storage scroll out of his robe and pulled out an enormous magnifying glass. It had a flat bottom made out of thick concrete that allowed it to stand upright like a pillar. Genji placed it down in front of a wall and reached into his pocket.

"All you need is a big magnifying glass and... This!" Genji exclaimed as he pulled his hand out of his pocket.

"Air?"

"No, not air. A tiny ass brush!" Genji held his hand in front of the magnifying glass and with the help of the tool Naruto saw what could only be described as the smallest paint brush in the world.

"... That's it? You make these tiny ass seals with a giant magnifying glass and a tiny brush?"

"Were you expecting something else?" Genji said with a cheeky grin.

"God damn it..."

"We Uzumaki work for a living. Remember that Menma. Nothing I have to teach you is easy. No one besides me has ever been able to master the art of micro seals, even with the aid of shadow clones."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. Not even my own children could do it. But you however... I have this strange feeling that you could do it. When I look at you... I just get this sense that you have some grand destiny. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"Uh... Grand destiny... Nope! Not that I know off, hahaha." Naruto rubbed his head and tried not to look suspicious but failed spectacularly.

 ** _"I swear this guy knows more about us than he's letting on."_**

 _"I get that feeling too but I don't think we're in any danger. Let's just keep training until we're strong enough to deal with Nathair and the Akatsuki."_

"That should conclude the lesson in seals for the day. Let's dispel so we can get dinner ready." Genji exploded into smoke with Naruto following shortly after. All through out Genji's mansion, poofs were heard as clones of the pair finished their lessons in different subjects of the ninja arts and dispelled.

Outside of the mansion in a garden area, the real Naruto and Genji were working on physical conditioning. Naruto stood in a pool of water that had an artificial whirlpool raging in the middle of it courtesy of a seal. He used the same principal as the widely used tree walking and water walking exercise to keep his feet cemented to the bottom of the pool as he performed squat thrusts. It was an intense workout that had Naruto ready to drop unconscious but he persevered and finally completed his ten thousandth squat. Triumphant and tired Naruto slowly made his way over to the edge of the pool and pulled himself out with Genji's help.

"Let's eat!" Genji declared as he and Naruto headed for the beach.

The teacher and student duo sat down on towels surrounding a fire and began roasting their night's catch over a fire. The fish in this region were huge and meaty due to the whirlpools in the area. Only the fish who were strong enough to swim against the currents whenever they were caught up in them survived.

"It's done." Genji said as he handed Naruto a fish and the two began eating. "Would you like me to tell you a story or something while we eat?"

"Sure... What can you tell me about the invasion?"

"I can tell you to forget about it. The invasion has nothing to do with your generation and your attention is best kept on the future."

"But how are future Uzumaki supposed to make sure nothing like that ever happens again if we don't know why it happened?"

"My answer is no. Please think of something else you'd like me to tell you about."

"What was up with all those dick drawings?"

"I got bored one day and decided to set up that room to mess with anyone who came to loot the ruins of the village. Next."

"How are you still alive?"

"Luck mostly. I was lucky enough to be born with a life force even greater than the average member of our clan, letting me live over two hundred years. As for how I survived the invasion... I almost didn't. I had to deal with a squad of shinobi specifically chosen to kill me. My elemental affinity is earth and they were all water affinities. My defensive jutsu was rendered useless because water jutsu can soak into earth turning it soft. They were an exceptionally skilled group led by one of the seven swordsmen of the mist."

"One of the seven swordsmen? I ran into one a few years ago. He was pretty strong so I was lucky I didn't end up having to fight him."

"You most likely would have lost if you did, especially if that one was the wielder of Samehada."

"Is the guy with Samehada really that strong? You're the second person to warn me about him."

"The current owner of Samehada was the student of the previous owner and a man that was a part of the team sent to kill me. Even back then he was a monster of equal strength to his own mentor. Had I fought him any later in his life, I dare say he would have defeated me."

Genji stood up and discarded the remains of his dinner." I'm retiring for the night. Go to sleep soon because we're getting up even earlier tomorrow." Genji walked back toward the village and Naruto sat watching the full moon's reflection dance across the waves.

 _"I really wish someone would just tell me why the invasion happened."_

 ** _"Naruto... Perhaps it's best that you don't dig any deeper into why. I'm getting the feeling that you won't like the answer."_**

 _"Kurama, I know that if I keep looking I might find something bad but... I just want to know."_

 ** _"And if you discover that the Uzumaki clan wasn't as innocent as most people think?"_**

 _"Then that's something I'll have to live with. I'll just have to take that knowledge and make sure that the future members of the clan don't make the same kind of mistakes."_ Naruto stared up at the full moon and it's beauty reminded him of someone.

 _"I wonder if I have a message waiting from her?"_ Naruto thought as he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the seal that connected him to his beloved. Sadly it wasn't shining.

 _"Dang... I should probably write her soon so she knows that I'm okay. Now's the best time since the old man went to slee..."_ Naruto's thought were interrupted when the seal started suddenly shining red.

"What the hell?" Naruto said aloud. The seal had never done this before but he vaguely remembered the toad that gave it to him saying something about it. He decided to summon Gamakichi to ask him. When the smoke cleared Gamakichi appeared looking uncharacteristically solemn.

"Summon my dad."

"Gamakichi, what's going on?"

"Just summon my dad. He'll explain everything."

Naruto summoned Gamabunta as fast as he could. When the smoke cleared and Naruto could see the toad chief clearly, he was stunned beyond words. The titan of strength that Naruto knew was standing before him bloodied and bruised. His right shoulder was bandaged up and his arm was still covered in dry blood. Gamabunta took a hit of his pipe, whatever was in it seemingly helping him deal with the pain.

"Hey there kid. I had a hunch about that Nathair guy and asked an old friend what he knew."

"Boss... What happened to you?"

"Oh this? It's not as bad as it looks. Besides I got a new snake skin wallet out of the deal so I'm happy. As I was saying, I had a hunch that this old friend of mine may have known something about Nathair so I paid him a visit."

Gamabunta started his tale right as he met up with Manda, the strongest of the snake summons. He found him not far from ryuchi cave, in the ruins of an ancient city. Manda was curled around the remains of an ancient tower but when he saw Gamabunta he slithered down and met the toad.

"I take it you were expecting me?" Gamabunta asked. He took a gourd off of his back and filled two cups with the contents.

"It was only a matter of time before someone realized that Orochimaru is still alive." Manda answered as he took one of the cups with his tail.

"So you won't even try to hide it?"

"No. I'd much rather get straight to the killing."

"I couldn't agree more. You and I have put off our reckoning far too many times."

"I'll eat your legs first. If frog legs are a delicacy then toad legs must not be that far off."

"Maybe I'll have some snake skin boots made out of the leftovers once I've made my new wallet."

The two old friends turned bitter rivals gulped down their drinks before tossing the cups aside and charging at each other. Gamabunta took out his sword and slashed at Manda but the snake evaded it and countered by slapping Gamabunta across the face with his tail. Gamabunta slammed into the side of a ruined building and Manda lunged at him intent on tearing out his throat.

Gamabunta blocked Manda's bite with his sword but Manda just kept lunging at him over and over again. Gamabunta continued to block but he knew he couldn't go on like this forever. He jumped into the air to try and regroup but Manda was able to follow by coiling his body like a spring and shooting up after him. The momentary reprieve from attack was enough time for Gamabunta to prepare a jutsu.

 _"I recognize those hand signs. His oil bullets are useless without a summoner to set them on fire"_ As Gamabunta finished up his hand signs he reached back into his robe and pulled out a lighter, holding it up to his mouth.

 _"Oh shit... I forgot he's a smoker."_ Manda was unable to dodge as he was assaulted with a rain of fire balls. Manda's flaming carcass slammed into the ground and Gamabunta landed nearby. Moving closer to confirm his kill, Gamabunta noticed that Manda had managed to shed his skin and escape underground before the fire consumed him. Gamabunta jumped out of the way just in time to avoid Manda bursting through the ground and sinking his fangs into him.

Realizing that his oil attacks wouldn't be as effective with a simple lighter providing the fire, Gamabunta switched to more traditional water style jutsu and attacked Manda from the air with a rain of water bullets. Manda evaded them all easily and slithered over to where Gamabunta was going to land. Gamabunta tried to slash Manda as he landed but Manda avoided the attack and wrapped himself around Gamabunta's body restricting the movement of his arms so that he couldn't use his sword or perform hand seals.

"It's over!" Manda proclaimed as he sunk his venomous fangs deep into Gamabunta's shoulder. Gamabunta screamed in agony and started wailing around in a desperate attempt to get Manda off of him. He purposefully slammed himself into various buildings in the ruined city but it was to no avail. Manda kept biting Gamabunta until the venom started to take affect. Gamabunta fought to the bitter end but eventually he fell flat on his face. Manda released his hold of Gamabunta and looked triumphantly upon the body of his defeated enemy.

"Goodbye old friend. I'll be sending your children to keep you company soon enough." Manda turned around and started slowly slithering away. Before he could get very far he felt pain rush through his body and turned his head to see Gamabunta still alive and piercing his tail with his sword.

"How!?" Manda yelled before Gamabunta pounced on him and grabbed his head so that he couldn't move.

"You and Orochimaru never got along. He had Tsunade create an anti-venom in case you ever turned against him." Gamabunta began squeezing Manda's head with all of his might. Manda's eyes started to bulge out of his skull and he would have been begging for mercy if he could talk at the moment.

"Any part of me that may have still considered you a friend died the second you threatened my children. Goodbye Manda." Manda wriggled and writhed but he simply wasn't strong enough to get out of Gamabunta's hold. Gamabunta squeezed the very life out of Manda until his body went limp and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"After our fight I skinned the bastard and came home to the mountain to dress my wounds and rest. We may not have proof that he and Nathair are one and the same yet, but it is undeniable that Orochimaru is alive."

"... Good." Naruto shocked everyone when he said this. Even Kurama didn't understand.

"I've had something I've regretted not being able to tell him. Now I'll have a second chance." Naruto punched his own palm and held it there for a few seconds. "I'm strong now. Strong enough to beat him I think. If he is Nathair then even better. All I have to do to prove my innocence is kick his ass and show the world who he really is." Naruto thanked Gamabunta for everything he did and bid the toads farewell.

 ** _"Naruto... Are you all right?"_**

 _"Never better."_

 ** _"Don't get hung up on the possibility of Nathair being Orochimaru. We still don't have any proof of that."_**

 _"Of course he's Orochimaru. I stopped Gaara and I brought sis, Bee, and the boob lady to the chunin exams. I screwed over his entire invasion plan and he wants payback. Plus there's all the stuff you told me about how he hated my dad for taking the hokage position. It makes perfect sense."_

 ** _"Just don't do anything rash. Let's continue our training for the time being. If Nathair really is Orochimaru then we'll need the help of someone who knows him, like Jiraiya."_**

 _"Speaking of my good for nothing god father, where the hell is he? I expected him to show up by now."_

 ** _"How would he get in? He's not an Uzumaki."_**

 _"He's freaking Jiraiya, he'll find a way."_

 ** _"Good point... Where the hell is he?"_**

At this exact moment Jiraiya was miles away, supposedly on an S rank mission to assist Sasuke and his chosen team take down the akatsuki squad that his brother was attached to. They were only a half days journey away from Itachi's supposed location when they camped for the night. Jiraiya was supposed to be on lookout for the deadly criminals but of course he took a short break from that when Sakura slipped away to take a quick bath in a nearby lake. She dragged Sasuke along to watch out for the notorious perverts they were traveling with but Jiraiya's stealth skills were above even Sasuke's ability to detect. Of course none of this mattered when he sneezed at the the exact moment Naruto and Kurama were thinking about him. Luckily he was able to dodge the boulder that Sakura grabbed from the bottom of the lake and threw at him. Sai, Lee, and Kakashi weren't so lucky.

 **END CHAPTER 61**

 **Hanabi gaiden ch. 3 Genin test**

Hanabi and her new teammates arrived at the training grounds right on time and walked over to their sensei prepared for whatever he had in store for them. Shiro had already covered her clothes in her insects and Shimmy had already been morphed into a beast clone of Yoko. Hanabi walked up to Neji with her byakugan activated and Neji smiled from his position sitting at the foot of a tree.

"As I hoped, you came prepared."

"Praise Yoko. She's the one who realized you were trying to trick us."

"Oh, is that true? Well done Yoko." Neji congratulated. _"Looks like I lucked out. When I heard I was assigned an Inuzuka I was worried I would get someone like Kiba."_ He added in his mind.

"I understand why you would bring Kurenai sensei but what's up with smokey?"

"You and I have spars all the time. I needed someone you had never encountered before so I could better test your team's information gathering and adaptability." Neji explained as Asuma and Kurenai stepped out from behind a tree.

"Your lazy ass just wanted an excuse to not do anything."

"... Begin the test Asuma." Neji ordered with a vein in his forehead throbbing. Asuma charged at Hanabi who jumped back to rejoin her team.

"You don't mind if I stay and watch, do you Neji? I'm curious to see if Hanabi really is stronger than Hinata."

"Of course Kurenai sensei, though I don't know if you'll be satisfied with the answer to your question."

Shiro took the first swing at Asuma and received a punch to the gut for it. Luckily her bug armor absorbed the blow and she managed to plant some parasitic bugs on Asuma. He backed off a few feet and took a long hit of his cigarette. He quickly flashed through some handsigns and exhaled a large cloud of smoke that surrounded him.

"Can you follow his movements Hanabi?" Shiro asked.

"He's not moving. That smoke cloud was to suffocate your bugs, not for stealth."

"It's our turn then! Let's get him Shimmy." Yoko and Shimmy charged at the cloud of smoke from both sides and attacked him with a vicious spinning attack. Asuma jumped out of the cloud of smoke right before Yoko and Shimmy hit him but they changed direction during the attack and followed him up. Asuma was unfazed however and right before Yoko hit him he kicked her hard enough to send her flying into Shimmy and the two collided and fell to the ground. Asuma didn't have any time to rest however as Hanabi and Shiro were on him with a coordinated attack.

Shiro sent a swarm of her bugs at Asuma and while he was preoccupied with the hand signs for a jutsu to counter her, Hanabi attacked him from behind with a dropkick. Asuma wasn't one to fall for such a simple trick however and he ducked Hanabi's attack.

"Wind style: Grand gust jutsu!" Asuma hit Hanabi with the jutsu and she went flying through Shiro's swarm and straight into Shiro. Thankfully Shiro was able to stand her ground and she caught Hanabi.

"Are you alright Hanabi? He held back considerably but there was still a lot of force behind that technique. He killed my entire swarm."

"I'm fine. Thanks for the assist." Hanabi and Shiro separated, slowly circling around Asuma boxing him in with the help of Yoko and Shimmy who had finally recovered from earlier. Neji watched the whole fight with a small smile on his face.

 _"They're doing much better than I expected. My team didn't have as much chemistry as this when we first started."_

"What do you think Kurenai sensei?" Neji looked over and asked his senior jonin.

"The three of them make a good team. I can see how Hinata would think that Hanabi is stronger."

"So you realize it too?"

"Yes. Hanabi is confident and filled with fighting spirit. She possesses the traits that Hinata lacks. That's why Hinata is so convinced that Hanabi is stronger even though she's not."

"For now." Neji added.

"For now?"

"If I'm being perfectly honest, in regards to raw fighting ability Hanabi has more potential than Hinata. Hinata is an excellent shinobi and her training as a combat medic is well suited to her but she lacks the killer instinct that a born fighter like Hanabi has. I honestly think that Hanabi could end up as strong as me and her father if she applies herself."

"What about right now? Do you think her and the other two are ready to be genin?"

"They're doing better than my team did when we fought Guy sensei for the first time. As long as they can get one solid attack in then I will pass them."

Getting a clean hit on Asuma was easier said than done. The girls and Shimmy were running out of steam but Asuma wasn't even trying. With a spinning roundhouse kick he knocked all four of them away. They all rolled in different directions and Asuma began preparing another wind jutsu aimed at Shiro.

 _"Damn it! He's way too strong for us. If only I can distract him with something I could get a clean hit in... Wait a second."_ Hanabi saw Kurenai and Neji talking on the other side of the training grounds and hatched an evil plan.

Asuma finished his hand signs but before he could unleash his wind jutsu Hanabi yelled at the top of her lungs "NEJI! STOP TOUCHING KURENAI SENSEI YOU PERVERT!". Now Asuma may have been an elite jonin but the idea of a young punk like Neji trying something with his woman was too much for him to ignore. He turned around to face them and the look of anger on Kurenai's face scared him unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"You idiot she's just trying to distract you!" Asuma realized how ridiculous he was being too late. All four of his opponents were lunging at him intent on capitalizing on Hanabi's ingenious distraction. Shiro, Yoko, and Shimmy nailed Asuma with punches to the stomach while Hanabi drove into the back of his head with another dropkick. A normal shinobi would have been knocked out easily with such a combination of attacks, but Asuma was no normal Shinobi. He stumbled for a moment but quickly regained his composure and unleashed the wind jutsu he had been holding the whole time, knocking Shiro, Yoko, and Shimmy away. He turned around to face Hanabi who attacked him with a palm strike that was easily deflected.

"That's not a funny thing to joke about young lady." He lectured as Neji and Kurenai walked over. Kurenai gave Asuma a stern look for making such a silly mistake while Neji looked proudly at his little sister.

"I've seen enough. You've all exceeded my expectations. I officially declare you genin of the hidden leaf village." Yoko squealed in delight and hugged Shiro who reciprocated the hug. Shimmy changed back into his dog form and started pawing at the two girls legs begging for attention which he received.

"Shouldn't you be joining them Hanabi?" Neji asked.

"You know I was never into that lovey dovey stuff. A bad ass like me can't be seen hugging like some silly little"

"Shiro, Yoko! Don't forget Hanabi!" Neji yelled and the two girls plus dog all ran after Hanabi who ran away cursing Neji under her breath. It didn't take long for Yoko to catch up to her and pull her down with a spine crushing hug. If Hanabi hadn't been yelling for her new team to get off of her one might think she enjoyed the attention with the way she was blushing and smiling.

"Well, now that that's all over I think you and I should go talk about that thing I mentioned earlier." Kurenai said causing Neji to blush and look down embarrassed.

"Hold on a second, what are you talking about?" Asuma asked clearly jealous and a little weary of Kurenai and Neji spending time together now that the idea of Neji perving on her had been introduced into his head.

"Think about it Asuma. Neji is now responsible for three girls. Three girls who are nearing the age where "that" happens. If "that" were to start on a mission and Neji had no idea how to deal with it then there would be a huge problem."

"Just to be clear, your talking about their menstrual cycles right?"

"... Yes Asuma. I'm talking about their menstrual cycles."

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding you... Carry on."


End file.
